


The New Threat

by Henry_Sturges_to_Henry_Lincoln



Series: Just Keep Holding Onto Me [5]
Category: The Maze Runner Series - James Dashner
Genre: Love, M/M, New Civilization, New Threat, So Much Newtmas, new relationships, new start
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-12-20
Updated: 2017-10-14
Packaged: 2018-09-10 14:38:39
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 79
Words: 101,090
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8920918
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Henry_Sturges_to_Henry_Lincoln/pseuds/Henry_Sturges_to_Henry_Lincoln
Summary: Thomas and Newt have had it pretty good in this new place. It's been thriving, and Thomas knows more people than he ever thought possible. He lives comfortably and gets to see Newt everyday, but when other survivors find their new home, they don't seem to be looking to join them- they want to take what they have. And surprisingly, Thomas is completely ready to protect it. But handling internal and foreign affairs can prove to be a rather difficult task. Are they up to it? ***Here it is, my sequel to The Death Cure! I hope you enjoy, and please bear with me here, as I am going to attempt to make it at least 60 chapters!***





	1. Chapter One- Their New Life

**Author's Note:**

> It's here, lovlies!! 
> 
> It's super late here, but I don't have school for two weeks, so why not ruin my sleep schedule?? Haha! I am the worst at chapter titles, so some of them are going to be super stupid. Bear with me here, and above all, please do enjoy :) Oh, and please endure through this chapter... It's sooo long and boring... I'm just explaining everything that I can't exactly work in along the way and setting the scene. So sorry for the length of this one... XD
> 
> ***I do not own The Maze Runner series or any of the characters!***

Sunlight stirred him. 

  
Thomas' eyes fluttered against it, shining in through the window. It was so warm and inviting, but Thomas had wished he had gotten more sleep. It was definitely early, especially since Newt was still asleep. Newt was always up before Thomas. Thomas reached over to the little table beside their bed, taking Newt's watch and checking the time; 6:45. 

 

Newt liked to get up at 7:00. Thomas turned off the alarm, wincing at the beeping. He spared a glance at Newt, making sure he hadn't been woken, then placed it back on the table. Thomas had broken the one he had awhile ago in an incident that involved Minho pushing him into the ocean. From the cliff. 

 

Thomas rolled back over and turned his attention back to Newt. His back was facing him, but Thomas admired him nonetheless. It was amazing how after two years, they barely looked any different. Newt kept his hair cut the same way, if not a little shorter- right at the bottom of his jawline. Just enough to hide most of his ears behind the golden curls. Other than that, Thomas couldn't find any difference in him now. He acted the same and was just as gorgeous. 

 

Thomas knew he hadn't changed much either. He was somehow just as muscular and fit, even though he barely did anything productive nowadays. The only one who had seemed to change any was Brenda, her hair much longer and her features sharper. 

 

Thomas ran his fingers ever-so-lightly down Newt's bare side. He was determined not to wake Newt up until seven, but he couldn't exactly keep his hands off him either. Thomas scoffed a bit at the calluses still on his fingers. Sure, the only work he did nowadays was physical, but he barely even did that. Which wasn't exactly fair, considering everyone- just like in the Glade- had to have a job once they hit fifteen, but Thomas was the exception. 

 

Newt and Minho took on the leader rolls. A few of the grown-ups complained about having kids in charge, but they did what was smart and didn't push it. In time, after hearing bits and pieces of their stories, they didn't seem to mind anymore. And they were about eighteen now anyway, so that complaint was barely even valid now.

 

As for Brenda, she was in charge of the Hunters. It was a new concept to Thomas' group, but Brenda caught on quickly. 

  
When they showed up to the island and began exploring, they discovered a clearing about two hours out. A huge clearing that wasn't clear in the slightest. The entire thing was filled with supplies that the Chancellor had been secretly stockpiling for them. Weapons, seemingly endless amounts of clothes, candles, cooking ware, bedding, wood for building, tools, hygiene products, even instructions on how to boil ocean water for drinking, plants they could eat, how to make natural soaps and candles for when their supply ran out- and so much more. Basically everything they needed. They didn't have power, but they didn't need it. They got by just fine. 

 

And with these new things, came an indescribably usefulness for people who knew things the Gladers didn't. Like Dave; he was a middle-aged man who was an architect. He worked with Gally to design their homes and other buildings; needless to say, those two were in charge of the Builders. 

 

And RaeAnn, who had a husband who went hunting all the time before he died during their escape back at WICKED- she knew how to turn carcasses into food, so to speak, and she was the lead of the Butchers. She brought her meat to Frypan- who happily was in charge of the Cooks, and the main organizer and distributor of their food. He even boiled their drinking water. 

 

Jorge didn't really have an official title. He was still a leader though, or as the Gladers still called it, a Keeper. He did all sorts of odd jobs, but mainly focused on his girlfriend who he met here. Her name was Cynthia, and you could never find one without the other. She was a nice woman, Thomas liked her. 

 

That was one of the most interesting parts; watching relationships spring up. Minho had a couple girlfriends here and there, but they didn't last. Same with Brenda; she had plenty of admirers, but she never paid them much mind. Thomas sometimes even caught her still throwing longing glances his way. 

 

Gally hadn't much romantic interactions until recently. Thomas caught him talking with a girl quite often. Thomas didn't even know her name; he made a mental note to bring that up. Regardless, he was glad he was finding someone. Many people avoided him because of his scarred face, but it seemed someone went for the personality and even liked it. 

 

Though, Thomas and Newt were the most well-known couple around here. Everyone knew Newt on a first-name basis, and Thomas was with him as much as possible. To know Newt was to know Thomas. Thomas was awful with names and faces, though, so he often got caught in awkward conversations with someone who seemed to know  _everything_ about him while he couldn't even find a name to place with them. 

 

Thomas noticed the clock on Newt's watch said 7:02 and mentally cursed himself for letting his mind wander. He leaned over Newt and kissed the temple of his head, giving his hips a little squeeze. "Hey, it's time to get up," he said softly against Newt's skin. 

 

Newt stirred and looked over at Thomas, looking confused and dazed, but he smiled. "What're ya doin' up so early?" he asked, twisting to face Thomas a little more, placing a hand on Thomas' face admirably. 

 

Thomas smiled. "We need to put up curtains; the sun shined in my eyes and woke me up. Thought I'd stay up to wake you up. Hopefully I was better than your alarm." 

 

Newt grinned and kissed him. "Much better." he said, pushing himself up. 

 

Thomas rolled out of bed, literally, groaning when he actually got to his feet. "How do you manage to get up so early?" 

 

Newt scooted off the bed and stretched. "It's not that early, you lazy-butt." he said, walking towards the bathroom- and by "bathroom", he meant the room where they kept towels and soaps and clothes. The only building Chancellor Paige provided them with was a public bathroom. Super basic, but toilets flushed, so that was good. As for bathing, the huge island they were on had separate lakes spread all through it. Seeing as they got their water from the ocean, and didn't really have a choice, that was where they bathed. It wasn't as gross at it sounded, since they were pretty big lakes- and totally clean and clear- but Thomas still used lots of extra soap. 

 

Something about this island seemed man made- or at least influenced so. Everything was real, but they were things didn't belong together. They had all kinds of trees; pine trees, apple trees, peach trees, cherry blossom trees- walking through the wooded areas was walking through an assault of mismatched colors. And their island was enormous, it took six and a half hours to go from one end to the next, surrounded by ocean for as long as the eye could see, and then there were lakes completely unattached from the ocean itself. And the animals ranged from deer to exotic-looking birds to rabbits to bears. 

 

Though Thomas wasn't complaining, things were good. 

 

Newt had collected a change of clothes for both of them, two towels, soap, and shampoo for them in a basket. "Ready?" 

 

Thomas smiled. Because of their different sleep schedules, they barely got to get the mornings started together. Thomas nodded, kicking Newt his shoes while he pulled on his own. 

 

When they walked outside, Thomas looked around, surprised how little of the place was awake. Thomas usually got up at around ten, and everyone was up and about by then. Minho was up; he looked over his shoulder when he saw them go by, then did a double take. "Is Thomas up already?" he asked with exaggerated shock in his voice. 

 

"It's a bloody miracle, I know." Newt replied, smirking at Thomas. 

  
Thomas rolled his eyes with a grin. "Yeah, yeah." 

 

Minho waved as they kept going. "See you shucks later." 

 

***

 

It took about them twenty minutes to get out of the main area of their civilization, and another fifteen to get through the slightly more isolated homes. Those were mostly the Hunter's homes. 

 

When they reached one of the lakes, Thomas was pleased to see there were no other people around. Another perk of getting up early he supposed. Not that he was going to start doing it everyday, but every now and then wouldn't be bad. 

 

Thomas tugged off his shirt and stopped when he saw Newt doing the same. He just grinned. Newt looked over at him and blushed. "What?" 

 

Thomas just smirked, and crossed his arms. "Nothing, just trying to enjoy you stripping for me. Please, continue on." 

 

Newt smirked, rolling his eyes as he did so. "I could," he said, grabbing the waistband of his pants. "Or, you could help me." he said with a dangerous wink. 

 

Thomas grinned. "Oooh! Don't mind if I do!" he said, running over to him. 

 

The two of them laughed as they enjoyed themselves, acting like the reckless kids they were. That was Thomas' favorite thing; having time to be idiots together. 

 

As they wasted their time being immature and playful and lustful and all that good stuff, Thomas couldn't help but seriously consider starting to get up this early everyday. 


	2. Chapter Two- Victoria

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello lovlies! 
> 
> It's weird to work with Rich Text on here, so bear with me here while I try to figure out if I'd rather use it or the basic HTML XD Anyways, enjoy :) Another slow-ish chapter, so sorry! 
> 
> ***I do NOT own The Maze Runner series or any of the characters!***

On the walk back, the sun was really starting to rise, the warmth was rather comforting. 

Thomas and Newt walked hand-in-hand, Newt leaning his head on Thomas' shoulder as they walked. He laughed. "Wow, Tommy, ya really do take up all my time." 

Thomas grinned. "What can I say? Your time is mine to waste." 

Newt grinned and rolled his eyes. "I can't argue." 

When they reached the heart of their village, more people were up and about now. Practically everyone greeted them; an excellent example of how Thomas was not good with names. Thankfully, Newt was, so some awkwardness was avoided for now. 

Minho met up with them. "Hunters'll be back soon," he said to Newt, then looked over Newt to Thomas. "Maybe you can help the Butchers today," he said, laughing. 

Thomas shook his head. "Very funny. I'll help Frypan cook before I help the Butchers." 

Minho and Newt laughed- the last time Thomas tried to help Frypan cook, he burned about five people's serving of venison and spilled boiling water on one of the cooks. He's been banned from the kitchen ever since. 

As they walked, Thomas noticed one of the women in the village- Victoria- sitting on the ground and sniffling. She was only about twenty-five, and had pale, flawless skin and long, silky black hair. She was a bit popular with the guys. Thomas nudged Newt. "I think Victoria's crying," he said quietly. 

Newt stopped and glanced over, nodding a bit. "She's seemed a little depressed lately. We should talk to her."

Minho pointed ahead. "Uh-uh, count me out, I can't do crying." he said, rushing ahead.

Newt smiled at Thomas. "And by we, I mean you." he said, pushing Thomas that way. 

"What? Why me?" Thomas asked. He could have easily resisted, but even as he complained, he knew he was going to do what Newt wanted. 

"Because you're poetic," Newt said. 

Thomas couldn't complain before they reached her. Newt and Thomas exchanged glances, then Thomas knelt in front of her. "Victoria?" he asked softly. "Are you okay?" 

She looked up, her icy blue eyes filled with tears. She wiped her eyes and nodded. "I'm fine." 

Thomas frowned. "Are you sure? You know you can talk to us, right?" 

Victoria looked between Newt and Thomas, a look of urgency in her eyes like she  _needed_ to say something, but instead she just pulled her knees up to her chest and shook her head. "I know, just a little down." 

Thomas nodded. Of course he knew there was more than that, but he wasn't going to pry. "Okay," he said, standing, "but if you change your mind, you know where to find us." 

She just nodded. 

Thomas and Newt turned and started towards the cafeteria. "Poor girl, I hope she's okay." Newt said. 

Thomas nodded and looked back. She was just sitting there, staring at them as they walked away. Thomas looked away, feeling a bit awkward now. "Yeah." 

 

When they entered the cafeteria, Minho was already inside, leaning against the serving counter and talking with Frypan. Thomas looked around, never not disappointed with this building. Or any of them, as a matter of fact. Dave just came in and made the Gladers' old buildings look like nothing more than shacks. Their buildings now were so much more stable, and so much better to look at. 

Thomas and Newt joined Minho. Frypan laughed. "Well, Thomas is up early today." 

Thomas let out a heavily sarcastic laugh. Frypan laughed. "Hey, do what you want, just so long as you're not up to help us prepare breakfast." 

One of the other cooks stopped right in his tracks and just shook his head at Thomas before continuing on. Everyone laughed, including Thomas- even though it was more out of embarrassment.

The door to the cafeteria swung open and the group of Hunters came in, dragging their kill with them. Thomas couldn't understand how they did it- they got up around four or five in the morning, and hunted all morning. 

Brenda led them, her long her tied back in a tight ponytail. Dirt smudged her on cheeks, but a fire in her eyes. She wasn't the type to settle down, and definitely seemed happy with what she did. 

She waltzed in, two rabbits in her hand. "Morning," she said cheerfully while the other hunters dragged two deer, several more rabbits, and even a turkey. Brenda tossed her rabbits to one of the cooks before leaning on the counter with the others. 

They all stood around and talked while breakfast was being prepared, people starting to file in with the smell of food being prepared. Breakfast was usually rabbit and birds and other small game, so they could quickly butcher it and begin cooking. The bigger game was sent to the Butchers after breakfast to be prepared, then the Cooks prepared it at dinner. They had made a pretty good system by now. 

When breakfast was served, Thomas and Newt sat at their usual table. Minho, Brenda, Gally, and Jorge always sat with them- most of Group B kept to themselves. The newer additions to their table were Cynthia- Jorge's girlfriend-, and the girl who had been hanging around Gally. Her red hair was completely straight and hung all the way down to the small of her back. Her face was dotted with faint freckles and she was always smiling. Thomas couldn't understand why such a pretty girl would be interested in Gally, but Thomas supposed Gally must treat his love interests better than he did everybody else. 

Throughout the breakfast, Thomas heard her name was Jade. Now he just had to remember that. 

Thomas sat quietly, admiring Newt. He laughed and spoke with the others. Jade kept asking him to say certain words to pronounce them in his accent. It was British, Cynthia had told them the moment she heard Newt speak. Thomas wasn't sure why, but there was something about Newt being British that was adorable- he knew nothing of them besides the fact that they spoke differently. It was kind of a surprise, Thomas had always just thought he spoke differently, he didn't know there was an actual reason for it. 

As Thomas was silently admiring Newt, he noticed Victoria from across the cafeteria. She was barely poking at her food. When she did take a bite, she sat for a moment, then her face contorted into a mask of disgust and turned green. She ran out towards the bathrooms and a wave of panic hit Thomas. She was sick. 

Thomas quickly turned to his food.  _We're all Immune,_ he reminded himself.  _There's no way she could have the Flare._ Thomas didn't know what was scarier; thinking she had the Flare or knowing she was sick with something else. He knew he should've pointed it out, but he decided maybe he was overreacting. So he cleared his throat, and pushed it away for now. 

 

The rest of the day went by slow. 

Newt and Minho went off and did their thing, keeping everything in check. Thomas decided to wander around. He peeked in on the huge Supply building- the place they had built to house all the supplies WICKED had given them. It was a ridiculously big building. Inside, Inventory Keepers and Distributors were busy at work, so Thomas decided not to bother them. 

He went and sat on the cliff, looking out over the ocean. It was cooler here, which Thomas was thankful for. This place was nowhere near as uncomfortably hot as the Scorch and Denver had been, but it was still hot. Though the sun seemed less intense everyday. 

And they did have winter. Sadly, no snow, just rain and a chill. Though Thomas supposed it wasn't that much of a loss; it's not like Newt and Thomas could exactly get themselves a kid to play in the snow with. 

He sighed. He was happy here, but sometimes it bummed him out to think about things like that. Things like having a dog, or a kid, or a car, or having to go grocery shopping, or any of the little stuff that they couldn't have. Thomas huffed.  _I was born in the wrong time._

 

 

Thomas was so bored, he thought he was going to die. 

Usually, he hung out with Newt, but today was a bit busier than the rest and he couldn't exactly do that. So he decided to help Gally build for awhile; they were currently working on repairs around the village. And Thomas was sure to give him plenty of crap about his little friend. 

When night rolled around, Thomas was the first one home. He kicked off his shoes and threw himself on the bed. When he heard the door open about twenty minutes later, he smiled tiredly into his pillow. "Hey." 

"Hey Tommy," he said. Thomas listened to him kicking off his shoes and crawl over Thomas onto his side of the bed. "What'd you do today?" 

"Construction with Gally," Thomas groaned. Construction always made him sore. 

And Newt knew that. And as the angel he was, he crawled onto Thomas' back and started rubbing it. "You sound like death," he said, laughing a little. 

Thomas moaned. "I love you so much." 

Newt laughed. "I know you do." he said, a hint of smug pride in his voice.

Thomas was so grateful they could be like this. In their home, the only sound Newt's lovely little humming while he rubbed Thomas' back. Thomas was just starting to doze off under Newt's touch when the door swung open. Hard. 

In one swift, instinctive movement- Thomas twisted his body to throw Newt onto the bed next to him, sat up, and put his arm in front of Newt protectively. Newt was just now starting to prop himself up on his elbow, looking a bit dazed from being thrown down so abruptly. 

Victoria stood in the doorway, her cheeks flushed from crying. She just looked between them, wide-eyed. 

"We need to talk." 


	3. Chapter Three- Big News

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello lovlies! 
> 
> So for my break, I'm thinking about two updates a day to all my stories :) It's perfect for my schedule, and I'm not overdoing it or only leaving you guys with one! So that's my plan for now :D Apologies for this chapter, it's pretty slow... 
> 
> Please do enjoy! ***I do NOT own the Maze Runner series or any of the characters!***

Newt was up first, meeting her at the doorway and letting her inside, shutting the door behind her. 

"What's wrong?" he asked worriedly. "Did something happen?" 

She looked around and sighed. "I'm really sorry about barging in," she said, taking Newt's hand as she spoke. "But I need you to help me, Newt! Can you call a Gathering for tomorrow morning?! I need to speak with all of you." 

Newt nodded a little bit, looking somewhat surprised, if not startled. "Of course, of course. Meet us in the Hall at eight, okay?" he asked gently. 

She just nodded and broke down into another puddle of tears. "Thank you!" she said, hugging him before leaving. 

Newt just stood there and looked at Thomas. "Uh." 

Thomas shrugged. "I have no idea..." he said, getting up. "But hey, we'll know tomorrow." 

Newt smirked. "You get to wake up with me again." 

Thomas thought about it, then groaned and flopped back on the bed. "You did that on purpose!" he whined. 

Newt laughed and jumped on him. "That I did." he said proudly. "Because I always get my way." 

Thomas smirked, "Is that so?"

"Yeah, it is." he returned the smirk. 

"I think I could win against you." 

"Prove it." Newt said, tapping his nose. 

Thomas laughed and twisted Newt off him, rolling on top of him and squeezing his sides. Newt squirmed under him, laughing. He tried to push Thomas off, but couldn't. He just put his hand on Thomas' face. "Alright, you win! You bloody win!" 

Thomas smirked and stopped, still sitting on Newt. He smiled and placed a kiss on Newt's forehead. Newt smiled. "You still have to be at the Gatherin' tomorrow." 

Thomas smiled. "I know." 

Newt placed a hand on Thomas' chest, looking him up and down. When Newt's eyes met Thomas', Thomas had expected there to be lust in his eyes, but was shocked at the sincerity in them instead. "I love ya, Tommy." Newt said quietly. 

Thomas lowered himself until he was just laying on top of him. He kissed him softly. "I love you, too." 

The two of them laid there, wrapping themselves around each other for hours. They never spoke, only laid there and kissed and ran their hands over each other. Even with the silence, it still felt like they had only laid there for mere minutes, and Thomas would've happily continued on much, much longer, but their bodies demanded sleep, so they gave in. 

 

When morning rolled around, Newt was lightly squeezing Thomas' sides to get him to wake up. 

Thomas reluctantly opened his eyes. "Please don't tell me it's time to get up already." 

Newt smiled apologetically, then kissed him, the rush of emotions make him wake up a bit more. "Sorry Tommy, rise and shine. Gatherin' is in an hour." 

Thomas groaned and watched Newt crawl over him and out of bed. "Do you think if we were to run and really rush, we could make it to the lake, get clean and dressed, and back out in thirty minutes?" 

Newt paused, looking back at Thomas. "Well. Probably. Why?" 

Thomas grinned. "Cause that frees up half an hour for us." he said, smirking. "Get back in bed." 

Newt smirked and rolled his eyes, doing as told. 

Thomas grinned and was on him the moment he was back; mentally congratulating himself on getting his way again. Though, he supposed Newt was getting his way too. 

 

They were fifteen minutes late. 

It was a good thing that Victoria had spread the news to the other Keepers about the Gathering, cause otherwise, it would've began even later. Minho crossed his arms. "Lovely of you to join us." 

Thomas laughed a little. "We thought it started at 8:30?" he offered, though no one was buying it anyway, so they just got started. 

Thomas looked around, feeling useless. He wasn't really a Keeper of anything, but Minho and Newt insisted he be regarded as one from their past experiences. Most of the faces here were familiar; Gally, Dave, Brenda, Frypan, Minho, Jorge- but there were a couple he didn't know very well. There were so many more jobs now, so there were so many more Keepers. 

Victoria sat quietly, hands folded in her lap, waiting for it to begin. 

Minho was apparently leading it this time, because he called it into order. He sat back and motioned to Victoria. "Say what you want to say." 

She was oddly pulling on her shirt. She looked around, looking panicked. "I've been pregnant for two months." 

Thomas choked on nothing and Newt and Minho got to their feet immediately, looking shocked. They'd been here for two years and no one had gotten pregnant yet- sure, they knew it was going to happen eventually, but they now felt so unprepared. 

Whispers and quiet conversations broke out. Newt looked at Thomas, shocked. Thomas exaggerated a shrug. 

Newt held out his hands. "Everybody, shut up!" he yelled. 

They did as told, and Newt just put his hands on his hips and looked at Minho. Minho shrugged. "Congratulations?" he said, unsure. 

Victoria let out a tearful laugh. "I guess so, I don't know what to do about this." 

One of the older men in their group stood, he was their only doctor. "I guess we should get you a check-up." 

Thomas was still kind of shocked. It was crazy to think there'd be a new baby around here soon. The more he thought about it, the more he realized that they were going to be fine. The Chancellor had intended on this place growing, and left plenty of supplies for babies around. There really wasn't much to worry about. Even still, Thomas couldn't wrap his mind around it. 

Newt sat beside him as people broke off into smaller conversations. "Can you believe it? There's gonna be a baby..." 

Thomas nodded. "It's amazing," then he frowned a little bit. He really wanted a baby. 

Newt just took his hand. Thomas was sure Newt knew what he was thinking about.

 

The Gathering ended soon after, seeing as there wasn't much to talk about anymore. 

Newt and Thomas went back home for a bit before they had to go out and start the day. Thomas had to admit, he was still surprised. "So we're gonna have a baby around here," he said with a little nod. "That's crazy." 

Newt nodded and sat beside Thomas on the bed. "I wonder if we'll be seein' more now. Maybe people won't be so shy after hearin' the news." 

Thomas smiled and nodded. Newt leaned his head on his shoulder. "Does it bother you we can't have kids?" 

Thomas shook his head. "No. They'd be nice to have," he said, turning and kissing Newt's forehead. "But as long as I have you, I'm happy." 

Newt smiled and let out a pleased sigh. Thomas just held him for awhile, his mind spinning at the thought of a new baby. 


	4. Chapter Four- Adjustments

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hahaha, this has 69 hits.... 
> 
> I'm 12 year old inside, I know. 
> 
> Anyway! Sorry for the late update, unexpected babysitting- not sure if I'm going to be able to do two updates, but I'll try, but let's get moving!!   
> **I do NOT own the Maze Runner series or any of the characters!***

Thomas and Newt were just wandering around the village, holding hands. 

The day was relatively slow. When people heard the news, everyone was excited. Victoria went to get her check-up; though without ultrasound equipment, the doctor was simply feeling for anything out of the ordinary. Good news; she and her baby seemed healthy. 

Minho came up beside them, nudging them as he did. "Crazy, right?" 

Thomas nodded. "Oh yeah. We knew it was gonna happen, but... Still crazy." 

Minho nodded. "She doesn't know who the father is, though." 

Newt winced. "Oh, it's that kind of situation." 

Minho nodded. "Yeah... But she always refuses to name any names, so it looks like she's raising this one on her own." 

Thomas frowned. "That's so sad..." he said. He didn't think anyone should have to raise a kid all by themselves. 

They ended up walking to the cliff. Thomas sat down before Minho could push him off the edge. Newt and Minho sat down and just stared off. No one said anything for awhile, they all just sat together and thought. They did that often- if there was a new issue in the village, they just silently brainstormed together. 

"A lot of things could go wrong," Minho said thoughtfully after awhile. "What if she needs a C-Section?" 

Thomas sighed. "Or if she has a miscarriage?" 

"A lot of things could go right, though." Newt interjected, looking almost disappointed in them for saying what they did. "We could have a healthy, little baby around here. This could mark the start of our new civilization." 

Thomas suddenly felt really crappy about thinking about something other than the good. "You're right," he said, making Newt smile. "We'll make this work." 

Minho nodded, smiling himself. "We always do." 

 

 

The next day, they went through the supplies that were left for the babies and mothers. 

No one had done much looking into those items, since they weren't needed for a long time. As Thomas was looking through them, he was surprised at just how much there was. Hundreds and hundreds of cans of powdered formula, more diapers than Thomas could even function, little clothes and shoes in all sorts of sizes, even a couple toys and cribs. 

Thomas collected a box of diapers, baby wipes, a variety of newborn clothes, and a baby blanket. He frowned and glanced again at the cans of powdered formula.  _We could take care of a baby..._

He shook the thoughts away, knowing he'd bum himself out if he thought about it too much. Minho took one of the cribs, and Newt found prenatal vitamins. Thomas looked around at their collection of things and found himself getting oddly jealous. 

Once again, he ignored it. 

They brought the supplies to Victoria's house and helped get everything set up. Thomas offered to check in on her daily and see if she needed any help, which she accepted graciously. Thomas was weirdly excited to have a job now. He didn't want to have any of the other jobs, but this one seemed worth it. 

 

When they made it home, Thomas sat back on the bed. "So what do you think? Boy or girl?" 

Newt looked thoughtful, sitting across from Thomas. "Hmm... I'm going to guess... Boy." 

Thomas nodded. "Then I'll guess girl." 

Newt laughed. "Alright, so either way one of us will be right." 

Thomas nodded and scooted a little closer. "So. Are you excited?" 

Newt laughed. "Apparently not as much as you." 

Thomas blushed a little. "Yeah... I don't know what it is about all this, I'm just... Really, really excited." 

"It's because you have an obsession with kids." Newt said, pinching his cheek. "You're going to smother this kid, I just know it." 

Thomas wrapped his arms around Newt. "Yeah, but not nearly as much as you." 

Newt laughed and kissed him. "Good. Glad we're on the same page." 

Thomas laughed and leaned over him, kissing him deeply. Once again, Newt effortlessly made him feel better. 


	5. Chapter Five- ill

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here's the second update, lovlies!! 
> 
> ***I do NOT own The Maze Runner series or any of the characters!***

Most of her pregnancy flew by without incident. 

Thomas was useless to Victoria for a long time. But by the time she hit her seven-month mark, he actually had things to do. And now that she was due any day, he spent a lot of his time over there. 

"So when's your due date again?" Thomas asked, finishing up the last of the cleaning. 

"Dr. Smith is thinking only a couple weeks now," she said, a look of nervousness crossing her face. 

Thomas frowned. "Are you okay?" 

Victoria sighed. "I don't know. How am I going to raise a baby all by myself? I never would've made it through the pregnancy without you, I can't imagine how I'm going to get by when its here." 

Thomas smiled sympathetically. "I can still help you when it's here." 

Victoria offered a little smile, but it wasn't all that convincing. "It's just a bit nerve-wracking, I suppose." 

Thomas nodded. "I would imagine so. But we're going to take care of you. Anything you need, we'll help." he said, smiling. 

She smiled at him and nodded. "Thank you, Thomas. How are things with you and Newt? Have you asked yet?" 

Thomas blushed a little. "Uh, no. Not yet," he said, leaning against her table. "Every time we're alone I get so distracted by him, I just can't bring myself to do it. And it feels kind of weird, not having a ring or anything..." 

Victoria laughed, the sound like a bell- soft and sweet. "You're so traditional, how do you manage to keep up with him?" she teased gently. 

Thomas looked out the window, spotting Newt bossing some younger boys- about 13 or 14- around. He was strict sometimes; he'd make the cutest parent. Thomas just watched him for a moment, smiling fondly. "I don't." 

Thomas watched as Newt spoke to the boys, an even younger boy- his name was Jacob, he was a sweet little kid- walked up behind Newt and tugged on his shirt. Newt turned to look at him, and just as he did, Jacob collapsed. 

Thomas' face fell. Every instinct flared and he bolted out the door over to them. "What happened!?" he asked, several other people already starting to rush around. 

Newt held him, looking over him in a panic. He wasn't moving, but he was breathing. Thomas' breath caught when he saw Jacob's face; blood oozing out of both nostrils, beads of it around his eyes. And his face was inhumanly white. Newt looked up at him, eyes wide. "Oh my God..." 

There wasn't much discussion to be done after that. 

Newt got to his feet, pressing Jacob against his chest. He and Thomas ran to Dr. Smith's house; Thomas knocked frantically before opening the door. Dr. Smith was standing there, hand outstretched to open the door. The heavy confusion on his face melted away when he saw Jacob. "What the..." he started, then something flicked on and he nodded towards his bed. "Bring him in." 

Newt placed him down and then backed away, Thomas wrapping his arm around him. They watched as Dr. Smith looked over him, shaking his head. "I... Have never seen anything like this... He's hemorrhaging, he's running a fever, his tongue is discolored, and his throat is inflamed..." he looked over at them. "I... don't think this is a sickness that's been discovered yet." he sounded full of disbelief, but Thomas didn't doubt its truth. 

"Well... Is it contagious?" Newt asked worriedly. 

Dr. Smith shook his head. "I don't know. Better to be safe than sorry, I'll move Jacob to the Med-House and stay there with him. Don't enter unless I tell you. Newt, go wash your hands and change your clothes- don't touch that pair until we've got this figured out. Thomas, get off him, don't touch him until he's cleaned himself and changed." 

Newt nodded. "So... You're basically quarantinin' yourself and Jacob?" 

Dr. Smith nodded. "Exactly." he said, lifting him up. "Send someone to me later, just knock and don't open the door. I'll tell them to retrieve the supplies and medicines I need. Spread the news, keep people washing their hands and have Jacob's parents avoid contact with other people." 

Thomas nodded, his head spinning. This was a lot to take in all at once. 

Dr. Smith disappeared, rushing to the Med-House. Newt looked at Thomas, shaking his head in disbelief. "Spread the bloody news," he said, rushing out. "I need to get clean." 

Thomas just stood there for a moment. He sucked in a deep breath, then started out. 

 

Thomas told Minho first, in private. 

When Newt returned, they told the rest of the village. Minho and Newt were great at keeping the group from panicking, which was good, because Thomas kind of felt like panicking. 

 

Newt instructed everyone to go home and stay there until further notice. With that, they held an emergency Gathering. Thomas really wished he wasn't considered a Keeper, all he wanted to do was go home and sleep off the image of Jacob's face. It had all happened so fast, Thomas was having a hard time believing it- he had seemed okay, if not a little drowsy, when he tugged on Newt's shirt. And then he was just on the ground... 

And Newt. Thomas chose not to think about it. 

Everyone seemed on-edge at the Gathering. Gally looked around. "Well... What now? What do we tell those people?" 

Minho sighed and sank into a chair. "I don't know. To only come out for meals, bathroom breaks, and bathing?" he suggested, then threw his hands up. "But what about the Hunters? No hunting, no food." 

Brenda crossed her arms, looking worried. "We could cut our hunting groups in half. Some of us, including me, were out hunting and had just gotten back when you guys made the announcement. If Jacob's the only one infected, then we're probably fine."  

Newt nodded a little. "Alright. Okay, after the Gatherin', tell those Hunters what's goin' on. Hunt in the mornings and evenings. Can a smaller group do that much?" he asked, looking concerned. 

Brenda nodded. "We'll be tired, but we can handle it, considering the circumstances." 

"Well in that case, you guys and the Cooks need to stay the cleanest. If any of you guys get infected, that's it. Everyone'll get it." Minho said, looking between Brenda and Frypan. 

Frypan nodded. "We still got gloves, lots of 'em. We can just make 'em mandatory." 

Brenda nodded at Frypan. "We'll get some of those, too." 

Minho nodded. "Good, never come in direct contact with the food." He frowned, "Speaking of direct contact," he said, looking at Newt. 

Newt frowned, looking around with such frightened eyes. "I changed my clothes and washed," he said weakly. 

Minho nodded. "You should probably stay in your house until all this is settled." Minho glanced at Thomas. "Do you want to stay somewhere else? Just in case?" he asked, though Thomas knew Minho already knew the answer to that. 

"No," he said, looking at Newt.  _In sickness and in health,_ he thought, fighting the urge to say it out loud. "I'll stay with him." 

"Then neither of you guys can leave," Jorge said, sounding almost hysterical. "Someone will have to bring you guys food, and when you bathe, you'll have to go to one of the farther lakes. Nothing personal, hermanos, it's just..." 

Brenda glanced over. "Jorge, are you okay?"

Jorge shifted uncomfortably. "Cynthia's pregnant." 

Minho threw his hands up. "Worst possible time, Jorge." he said, groaning. Then let out a long sigh. "And what about Victoria?!" 

Newt raised his hands. "Alright, enough! I'm settlin' this now," he said, standing up. He pointed at Brenda and Frypan. "No direct contact with the food. Put somethin' over your mouth when ya serve, Frypan. Don't want to get sick from being so close to people." he nodded at Jorge. "Cynthia and Victoria are not to leave their houses. If you're going to stay Jorge, then you're under the same rules as Tommy- no goin' anywhere. You could bring it back to her, or worse, the baby." he turned, addressing the Keeper of the Inventories and Distributors. "Inventories almost never leave the bloody Supply House. You guys'll be the new errand hands. You bring the food to those confined to their homes, you check in on Dr. Smith and see if he needs anything, and when you're not runnin' around, go back to the Supply House so Minho knows where to find you. He'll give you orders when he needs to on what you need to do." he looked at Minho. "And you, never without gloves and a face mask, understand?" 

Minho nodded. 

Newt looked at everyone. "Understand?" 

Everyone nodded. Newt huffed and nodded. "Good... Now," he looked at Thomas. "Let's go." 

 

Thomas shut and locked the door behind him when they got home. 

Newt looked at him, arms crossed. He didn't look necessarily mad or entirely happy with him. "What are ya bloody doin'?" 

Thomas frowned. "I...?" 

"Stayin' with me," he said, sitting on the bed. He shook his head and sighed. "If this is contagious, then I'm bloody sick, for sure. And now you're gonna get yourself sick, too. What if this buggin' thing is deadly?" 

Thomas frowned and sat beside him. "We don't know if it's contagious. And it could only be contagious through bodily fluids, too, ya know. Last I checked, you weren't swapping spit with Jacob." he said, earning himself a little smile from Newt's sad little face. Thomas took his hands. "Seriously, though. It could be airborne. Or it could be a parasite. Truth is, we have no idea. But I'd rather find out with you, and possibly even die with you, than leave you alone for a second." 

Newt smiled a little, giving Thomas' hands a squeeze. "Such a romantic." he said, sounding so sincere. 

Thomas kissed his cheek. "Try not to let this get to you. We could be completely healthy. And no matter what, we'll be just fine." 

Newt smiled brighter, throwing his arms around him. "Oh Tommy, I love you." 

Thomas smiled and hugged him back as tightly as he could. 

"I love you, too."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just a personal note about this chapter: I've read and watched lots of Dystopia stuff. It's one of my favorites genres, and I notice in these things, there's usually a new sickness the people can't place. Which is what I'm doing here, cause I think that would probably happen. New sickness and diseases show up constantly, but there are professionals to diagnose and name these things basically right away, and study them and figure them out. But in a Dystopian setting, the most you'd probably have is a doctor, and even if you did have a freaking scientist around, they wouldn't have the proper tools to figure out what they needed. It's just always been an interesting concept to me, so I figured I'd put it in here :)


	6. Chapter Six- Waiting it Out

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ugh, another late update- who knew I would actually do stuff on my winter break?! 
> 
> Anyway, enjoy lovlies! ***I do NOT own The Maze Runner series or any of the characters!***

Thomas stirred, looking around briefly. 

When he saw Newt next to him, he had to do a double-take, wondering why he wasn't up and out already- but then he remembered their situation. He rested a hand on Newt's arm, and just as he expected it, Newt looked back at him. 

"I knew it," Thomas said, pouting. "You've been awake for hours, haven't you?" 

Newt laughed sheepishly. "I didn't wanna wake ya up." 

Thomas rolled his eyes. "You need to stop being so adorable and sweet and wake me up. I'd rather be up with you than wake up and find out you've been laying awake for hours." 

Newt pinched his cheek. "Oh hush Casanova," he said, kissing him. "How do ya feel? Sick?" 

Thomas shook his head. "Nope, I'll feel fine. You?" 

Newt nodded. "I feel completely fine." 

"See!" Thomas said, kissing Newt's cheek before sitting up. "We're fine, I told you. Now can we leave?" he asked, worried about Victoria. She always needed Thomas lately, what was she going to do without him? 

Newt sat up and sighed. "No, not 'till we know whats goin' on. We can go to the lake, but ya can't go see Victoria." he said, always knowing what Thomas was worried about. 

Thomas just sighed. "Alright, let's go." 

 

They didn't even see anybody on their way. Everyone was holed up in their homes besides a handful of people. Thomas had to admit, he was pretty mad. They were supposed to be in paradise, not all hiding in fear of a sickness again. 

When they got back home, someone had left them breakfast. They were about half way through when someone knocked. "Make yourselves decent," Minho called from the other side. 

Thomas just laughed. "Just shut up and come inside." 

Minho walked in with a cloth tied around his mouth. "This is getting old," he said gesturing to it. "And you," he said, looking at Newt. "You need to keep staying healthy. I can't go on much longer without you out there, I'm going to die." he said it with the same sarcastic flare he always had, but there was actual concern and sadness in his eyes. Thomas couldn't imagine how it must've felt. 

Newt nodded. "Workin' on it," he frowned. "But what are ya doin' in here? Ya could get sick." 

Minho leaned against the door. "That's what the face mask is for, duh. But I do have actual business here." 

"Anything new?" Thomas asked. 

Minho nodded. "A lot, so sit comfy, shut up, and listen." he said, taking his own advice and sitting in their windowsill before continuing. "Five more people got sick last night and this morning. Everyone has different symptoms in the beginning- some faint, some throw up until they pass out, and some get so dizzy they pass out. But now all of our sick ones are running a dangerously high fever; they're not even waking up, just writhing and whining and they look like crap. Dr. Smith said whatever this sickness is isn't deadly, but the symptoms can be- especially this fever. So far everyone's stable. 

"Weirdly enough, though, some people were sharing homes with these people, and didn't get sick. Dr. Smith thinks that if someone who's been exposed doesn't get sick in three days, they're gonna be fine. He also thinks that blood type might be making some people immune, but he can't exactly test all our blood type, so it's just a theory. He thinks he's immune, but he says it happens so suddenly, that there's really no way for him to tell unless he can get through about three days."

It was a lot to take in, and Thomas' mind was spinning. Who was sick? He hoped Victoria and his friends were okay. 

"So what now?" Newt asked, "does he know how to treat any of this? Can he?" 

Minho nodded thoughtfully. "He thinks he can. He's got a group of people running all over the forest for Sage and Red Clover. Apparently Sage helps with fevers, and Red Clover's a blood cleanser- I don't even wanna think about that. But yeah, he says if he can treat the fever, and the patients can live through it, we should be okay."

Thomas frowned. "He's all alone in the Med-House? Doing all this himself?" 

Minho nodded solemnly. "Poor guy. He won't let anyone else in yet. Not until he's sure they're immune or whatever; even then, we can't really be sure. He just thinks that, at the rate it's going, everyone's who's going to be sick and has been exposed to a sick person, will be sick in about three or four days. So ya know, if one of you drops dead tomorrow or the next day, that's why." 

Thomas was having a hard time finding that one funny, so he moved on. "Who's sick?" 

Minho sighed and he looked up thoughtfully. "Dave's sick... Jacob's mom is sick-" 

"Mary," Newt interjected. 

Minho nodded, and continued. "Chris is sick, Lora, and Jade..." 

Thomas frowned. Chris was fourteen, he followed Brenda around a lot- he wanted to be a Hunter. Lora led several others in making natural soaps and shampoos. But Thomas was mainly worried about Gally; Dave  _and_ Jade were sick, and those were the two he cared about the most. "Does Gally know Dave and Jade are sick?" 

Minho nodded. "Poor shank's pretty upset, but there's nothing to be done until we get those stupid plants." 

"How's Victoria and Cynthia?" Newt asked, reading Thomas' mind. 

"They're fine. We've got someone in there who checks in on Victoria, and Jorge and Cynthia never leave their place." 

Thomas nodded, feeling a bit better. Minho just nodded. "I should go," he said, the sadness in his voice heartbreaking. 

"We'll be alright again soon," Newt assured. 

Thomas nodded. "Yeah, and then we'll be up and bothering you again." 

Minho smiled, even under the mask, Thomas could tell. "I actually miss you shanks grossing me out." 

Thomas shrugged. "Well if you wanted to stick around-" 

"Yeah, not that much," Minho said quickly. "Bye!" he said, rushing out. 

They laughed for a moment, then Newt just sighed. "Well." 

Thomas nodded. "Well." 

Newt looked over and offered a smile. "I guess we'll know in the next two days if we're okay." 

Something about that haunted Thomas. In just two days, they could be walking out of there together, or falling into a horrible sickness together. Thomas considered asking Newt to marry him right then and there, just in case. But he decided it against it. That would just mean he was preparing for the end, and it couldn't be the end. He especially didn't want Newt thinking he was worried about it. 

Thomas nodded. "We  _will_ be okay in the next two days." 

Newt smiled and nodded. "You're right." he scooted a little closer and rested his head on Thomas' shoulder. "We're going to be just fine." 

Thomas just nodded, with Newt against him, he believed it too. 


	7. Chapter Seven- Two More Sick

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here's the second update, lovlies, enjoy!!! 
> 
> ***I do NOT own The Maze Runner series or any of the characters!***

Thomas woke up with only one thing on his mind;  _Day Three._

He looked over to Newt, who was still sleeping. Thomas checked the time, groaning when he saw it was almost seven. He must've been more anxious about this than he thought. Sighing, he pushed a piece of Newt's hair back. He looked fine, and Thomas felt fine. 

Newt stirred and blinked away the haze in his eyes before looking up at Thomas. He smiled sleepily. "Good mornin'. How do ya feel?" 

"Good," Thomas said with a smile. "What about you?" 

Newt rubbed his eyes. "Good. Maybe we're not sick." 

Thomas let out a breath of relief. "Good, because I want to leave." he said. He usually wouldn't care, but of course the one time he couldn't leave, he was absolutely dying too. 

Newt nodded. "And I hate to have Minho handlin' everythin' on his own." 

Thomas grinned. "It's a miracle the village hasn't burned down yet." 

Newt laughed and shook his head. He rested a hand on Thomas' face. "So what are we gonna do today?" 

Thomas pretended to look thoughtful. "Hmm, oh I know!" he crawled on Newt. "Maybe just stay in bed all day." 

Newt smirked. "Somehow I knew you would say that." 

"Isn't that why you asked?" Thomas countered with a smirk, leaning down and pressing a kiss to Newt's lips. 

And since Newt didn't argue, Thomas assumed he was right. 

 

At about eleven, they finally got out of bed and headed to the lake. 

Thomas couldn't help but stare at Victoria's house as they passed it on the way there. Something felt different. He had such a bad feeling about all this. 

On the way back, Thomas looked around and frowned. "It's sad to see this place empty." 

Newt frowned. "I know. I hope this buggin' thing goes soon." 

Minho walked out of the cafeteria, then spotted them and ran over. "How are you guys feeling?" he asked, looking worried. 

Thomas was a little confused at the panic in his voice. "Uh, fine. Why? Did something happen?" 

Minho ran his fingers through his hair, looking like he was losing his mind. "Victoria," he breathed. 

Thomas' heart sank. "Is she..." 

Minho just sighed and nodded. Thomas was suddenly filled with a panic, looking around as if he might see her up and fine. "Oh God... Oh God-" 

Newt grabbed his hand. "Calm down, Tommy," he said, putting a hand on Thomas' face, stealing his attention. "She'll be fine," Newt glanced at Minho. "Did they find those bloody plants yet?" 

Minho nodded. "They just got back with a butt-ton of 'em." 

"How long has she been sick!?" Thomas asked. "Is she okay?" 

Minho looked frazzled when he came over, and Thomas felt a little bad, seeing he was making it worse. "I-I dunno. I checked on her when I heard a crash in her house, and she was just sitting there, and then she just fainted." he shook his head, "I don't know. Dr. Smith won't let me inside in case I get sick. No one's dead, I can tell you that much." 

Newt shook his head, looking towards the Med-House. "I hope those bloody plants work." 

"On a lighter note, Dr. Smith thinks I'm immune," Minho said with a shrug. "I've been around just about everybody who's gotten sick and nothing's happened to me." 

Newt nodded. "That's good, at least. It seems like Tommy and I are alright, too." 

Minho looked relieved for the first time since Thomas had seen him. "I hope you're right. You guys should head back for the night, though. Then tomorrow we'll see if Dr. Smith will let us inside." 

Newt and Thomas nodded and watched Minho rush off. When they were back inside, Thomas frowned, plopping on the bed. He ran his fingers through his hair and sighed heavily, trying to keep it together. "I can't believe she's sick..." 

Newt frowned and sighed. "Tommy..." he muttered, walking over and hugging Thomas' head. Thomas wrapped his arms around Newt's middle. "Do you think the baby will be okay?" Thomas asked weakly. 

Newt nodded. "I think so," he said, sounding really on-edge. 

Thomas looked up at him and pulled a humorless smile. "You don't sound so sure." 

Newt let out a shaky breath. "I think I'm panickin'," he said, running a shaky through his hair. 

Thomas frowned and stood up. "Woah, are you okay? Hey, it's gonna be fine." he said; it seemed like he was having a legitimate panic attack; Thomas didn't know what he was supposed to do except calm him down. "Hey, hey, look at me." 

Newt seemed to compose himself immediately; he stopped shaking and he relaxed. He lifted his eyes up at Thomas. Before Thomas could speak, Newt's eyes rolled right into the back of his head and he fell backwards. Thomas caught him just before he hit the floor and slowly laid him down. "Newt!? Newt!" 

Newt's body was stiff and trembling all over. His head occasionally twitched, and his eyes fluttered inside the back of his head, his mouth open in a terrifying silent scream. It took Thomas a minute to realize he was having a seizure. An icy panic struck him;  _He's sick._

"Oh no," Thomas muttered, grabbing Newt's face. "No, no, no, no," he said, his body breaking out in a tremble. "You're fine," he said to Newt, knowing he couldn't hear him. "You're just fine," he said desperately as he slid his arms under Newt and picked him up. "You're fine, we're fine," he muttered to himself over and over again as he stood. 

Thomas' body wouldn't have stayed still even if he had wanted it to. He kicked their door open and went sprinting, calling to Newt as if that'd save him, sounding completely hysterical. Because, well, he was. He was screaming for Dr. Smith before he even reached the door. It swung open the moment Thomas got there. Dr. Smith looked them up and down. A sad frown found his face. "Newt, too?" 

Thomas looked down at him; he wasn't having a seizure anymore, but his eyes were still somewhere in the back of his head. He was still, scarily still. "Is... Is he alive?" Thomas squeaked, his voice cracking- he was crying- When did he start crying? 

Dr. Smith looked Thomas up and down. "Come in," he said, "you've been with him, and in such close quarters... You're either immune or have it, there's no doubts." 

Thomas walked in, feeling so small and pathetic. "Is he alive?" he repeated, barely making a sound at all. 

Dr. Smith looked at Newt for a moment, then motioned for him to follow to the main room, and to one of the beds. "Lay him down, let me check." 

Thomas did as told, not able to take his hands away completely. He grabbed Newt's hand and knelt beside his bed, clasping it in both hands. Dr. Smith stood beside his bed. The moment he put his fingers to Newt's neck to check his pulse, Newt's body shuddered violently as he let out an enormous gasp like he hadn't breathed in years. The action was so sudden Thomas went stumbling back from flinching so hard. 

When he scrambled back, Newt's eyes were fluttering around frantically, his chest rising and falling fast and spastically. "Well he's alive," Dr. Smith said, pressing his hand to Newt's forehead. "His fever's already rising, he'll pass out again soon." He said, probably so Thomas wouldn't freak out when he lost consciousness again. 

Newt looked at Thomas, suddenly looking tired. Thomas grabbed his face. "You're fine, you're gonna be fine." 

Newt's eyes slowly slid closed and he relaxed, but at least now Thomas could see him breathing. He looked at Dr. Smith. "What now? How do we fix him?" 

Dr. Smith started towards the office room. "I have to finish making a tea out of the Sage and Clover, check on the others for me, will you?" he asked, not waiting for an answer as he disappeared into the room. 

Thomas looked at Newt and bit his lip; he didn't want to leave him. But he knew the more useful he made himself, the quicker he could get Newt the help he needed. He bent over him and left a long, long kiss on his forehead, then grabbed his hand and kissed it, holding it for a moment before managing to pull himself away. 

"You're gonna be fine," he muttered, not sure if he was talking to himself or Newt. 


	8. Chapter Eight- Hoping

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I think everyone has realized by now that my guilty pleasures are angst, and panicked/worrying Tommy ;) I'm a cruel person, I know XD 
> 
> Anyways, enjoy! ***I do NOT own the Maze Runner series or any of the characters!***

Thomas wandered down the rows of beds, having a hard time looking at them. 

In this room was Newt, Jade, and Dave. He frowned at seeing Jade; Thomas had never realized how small she was- maybe 5'2", no way she was taller. Just like the others, she lay unconscious, a look of pain etched into her face. She writhed occasionally, whining. Thomas tried to imagine her and Gally together, remembering the way she smiled at him. Thomas could've been totally off, but he suspected she loved Gally, or at least cared for him. Thomas really hoped she made it out of this okay. 

Thomas slowly moved onto Dave. He was breathing, but looked just as miserable. The Builder was usually all smiles and lame jokes. He also told Thomas all about history and literature; he even had a few books he had stuffed in his coat pockets when everything went down. Thomas and him had recently been talking about Thomas borrowing those books. But he was breathing, and that was all that mattered, so Thomas moved on into the next room. 

Thomas' breath caught when he saw Victoria. 

She looked so awful. Thomas frowned and walked over, just looking her over. Gently, he placed his hand her against her stomach. He frowned when he didn't get a kick like he usually did. He pulled his hand away before he let himself assume the worst. 

He looked over the others, just making sure they were breathing. He stopped at Jacob's bedside and frowned; he was so little. Things like these shouldn't happen to anybody, much less kids.  _Just like it shouldn't have happened to Chuck._

Thomas sighed and told himself to hold it together. This wasn't the time. 

Walking back, he realized everyone was pale, all of their eyes looking sunken in. They all had a thin sheen of cold sweat across their skin, all of them writhing and whining with that miserable look on their faces. It was really depressing, Thomas didn't know how Dr. Smith handled this. 

He wandered back to Newt, kneeling beside his bed. 

Newt was quieter than the rest. Thomas knew it was because he hadn't been sick for as long as these people, but Thomas liked to think Newt was keeping it together so Thomas wouldn't panic, like he always did. 

Thomas held Newt's hand close to his chest and shook his head, feeling the threat of tears again. "I wish I could trade places with you," he whispered, giving his hand a squeeze. "You're so much stronger than me, you'd know what to do." 

A loud crash came from the office and Thomas got to his feet, his heart already racing. "Dr. Smith?" he called, slowly walking that way. Hesitantly, he knocked on the door. Nothing. 

Thomas pulled it open and the first thing he was aware of was the stench of vomit. It hit him like a wall in his face, and surfaced memories from two years ago. Thomas instinctively threw his hand over his mouth. Thomas looked around the room and frowned deeply when he saw what the source of the stench was. Dr. Smith was leaned against the wall, limp, a puddle of vomit in front of him. Thomas' heart sank.  _There goes the only doctor..._

The main door swung open and Thomas poked his head out just in time to see Minho and Gally charging in. Minho looked around, his eyes stopping on Newt. He knelt beside him, looking over him like he was already dead. Thomas rushed out. "Minho!" 

Minho looked so relieved and rushed over, wrapping his arms around him. "Oh thank God, we couldn't find you shanks anywhere." 

Thomas pulled away. "Dr. Smith's sick!" 

Minho cursed, while Gally just went to Jade's bedside and knelt beside, taking her hand. Thomas looked away, it was too heartbreaking for Thomas to take right now. Minho looked around. "Well now what?" 

Thomas looked back in the office. There was a large, glass pitcher on his desk; little shredded pieces of leaves all around it. A long tray sat beside it, eight empty cups sitting on it. Thomas walked over, looking inside the pitcher- it definitely looked like tea. Leaves floated on the surface and it smelled of medicine and fresh plants. "I think he was done with the medicine!" 

Gally and Minho were in the office immediately. "Well come on then!" Gally said frantically, "before anyone gets any worse!" 

Minho nodded. "He's right, let's get this in their systems." 

Thomas poured the tea in the cups; when he was done, there was still plenty left over. "I'll get Dr. Smith after Newt," Thomas said, grabbing one of the cups and carefully shuffling over to Newt. 

He used one arm to prop Newt up, lightly patting his cheek. "Hey, hey," he said, "I need you to drink this." 

Newt's eyes opened, just barely. His eyelids looked heavy, but he reached out weakly- he didn't even manage to get his hand up far enough to even brush the cup. "Let me," Thomas said sadly, "just drink it okay?" 

Newt didn't nod, but he parted his lips slightly. Thomas carefully helped him drink it, having to wake him back up a couple times. But he managed to drink the entire thing. Thomas laid him back down and kissed his forehead before rushing back into the office. Dr. Smith obviously hadn't planned on getting sick, so Thomas just refilled Newt's cup for him. 

Dr. Smith was much easier, seeing as he had just gotten sick. Dr. Smith still needed help, but he drank it much faster and stayed awake the entire time. 

Everyone was taking even longer than Newt to drink their tea. Gally was just finishing with Jade, Minho with Dave. Thomas sighed, knowing this was going to take awhile. He took a cup and rushed to Victoria. She looked worse than the others; probably because the only nutrients she had was going to the baby. It dawned on Thomas that none of these people could eat in this state; that meant no food was going to the baby. He shuddered as he thought of Jacob- he hadn't eaten in three days. 

It took some time, but they eventually managed to get everyone some tea, and carried Dr. Smith to one of the beds. Minho hopped on the desk in the office, Gally leaning on the wall beside him, and Thomas just idly, slowly spinning himself in the swivel-chair. "How long do you think until we see some results?"

" _If_ we see results," Gally said, sounding more sad than bitter. 

Minho looked over Dr. Smith's notes. "I don't know, it doesn't say." he said, ignoring Gally's comment. He glanced at the now half-full pitcher of tea. "He's got all sorts of alternate uses for this stuff. But... I think we should save it and just give it to them as tea again tomorrow, since we don't know how to make more..." 

Thomas nodded. Minho sighed and glanced out the door. "When did Newt get sick?" 

"Not long after we got back home from talking to you," Thomas replied absently. "He had a seizure." 

Minho winced and held his head in hands with a sigh. Gally just stared at the floor. "Do you think they're going to live?" 

No one answered. 

They sat in solemn silence for awhile, then Brenda wandered in. She frowned, looking around. "Where's Dr. Smith?" 

"Sick," Thomas said with a sigh. 

Brenda joined them in the room, just sitting on the floor, criss-cross. "This is bad news," she said, resting her head on her hand. "Did he make that tea?" 

Minho nodded. "We gave it to all of them not long ago, but we don't know when we're supposed to see any results." 

"So what's the plan?" Brenda asked. 

"Wait here until someone shows improvement, or just stay here and keep giving them tea until we run out." Minho said with a shrug. 

Brenda stood up. "I'll go get you guys some food." she said, then disappeared. 

"So what brought you guys here?" Thomas asked. 

"We figured we were immune," Gally said. "So we showed up to see if we could help, and see if Dr. Smith had heard from you and Newt." 

Thomas nodded. "Dr. Smith thought he was immune too, though. Be careful." 

Minho pulled a grin. "It's a little late for that, isn't it?" 

Thomas just smiled a little. 

 

They ended up spending the night in there. 

They had planned on all staying up all night, but that failed miserably. Thomas woke up in the middle of the night, his back screaming from sleeping in a swivel chair. He looked around; he was sure he had woken up for a reason, but everything was silent. 

Gally was sitting on the floor, his back against the wall as he snored softly. Minho was curled up on the desk, snoring not-so-softly. Thomas rubbed his eyes, figuring it was Minho's snoring that woke him up. Thomas tried to get comfortable, settling back in when he definitely heard something in the hallway. Soft and dragging. Footsteps? 

Before he could stand to go see, a shape appeared in the dark doorway. 

Thomas' body was gripped by fear by the sheer eeriness of the scene; a child's shape lingering in the doorway. He was barely anything more than a shadow against darkness, but Thomas could make out blood on his face. "Thomas?" the voice was so small, barely there, almost lost to the sounds of sleep around it.

Then his moment of irrational fear melted away and it clicked.

Jacob. 


	9. ***Author's Note***

I hate making author's notes, they're never good... 

So I can't do another update tonight; it's hella late, and I have such an early day tomorrow! AND I might not be able to post tomorrow or the next day, because it will be Christmas Eve and Christmas and mom and I are going to visit our family! 

So just hang in there, and if I can post, I will! Otherwise, I'll see you lovelies in two days! 

So sorry, but I love you all!! Happy Holidays if you celebrate them!!


	10. Chapter Nine- Improvements

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello lovlies! 
> 
> I had an AWESOME Christmas. Anyone else? Get anything awesome? I got the complete Original Series of Star Trek (25-discs!!!), the first, second, and third season of The Big Bang Theory, season three of Sherlock, five pairs of fluffy socks, a Pikachu plushie, Pokemon Sun, and a Walking Dead cup!! It was totally awesome!!! But I'm glad to be back :) 
> 
> Oh, and many apologies, but there's only gonna be one update tonight, guys! I didn't get to start until late-ish, and I have so much post-Christmas cleaning to do... But there will be two tomorrow!!   
> ***I do NOT own The Maze Runner series or any of the characters!***

Thomas went sprinting to him, scooping him up in his arms. 

"Oh my gosh, Jacob, are you okay!?" he asked in a panic. 

Thomas felt Jacob's little arms wrap around him. "I'm scared." 

"I know, I know, it's okay," Thomas said, just holding him for a minute before turning towards the room. "Guys, wake up!" he shouted. 

Minho half-got up and half-fell off the desk with a groan, looking around in a panicked confusion. Gally just shot right up to his feet. When Minho realized what was going on, he rushed over, meanwhile Gally was busy lighting the candles so they could actually see him. 

Thomas sat him on the desk and looked over his face in the light. He still looked sickly pale and tired, but at least now he was up and there was some color in his face. "What happened? When did you get up?" 

"I just got up," he said, rubbing his eyes. He looked around. "Where's Newt?" he asked, sounding disappointed he wasn't there. 

Thomas frowned. "He's sick, just like you were." 

Jacob frowned, rubbing some dry blood off his face. "Oh..." he looked up at Thomas. "I'm really hungry."  Thomas couldn't help himself, he hugged him again- he was just so glad to see him being his usual, adorable, quiet self. "Hang on," he said, rushing over to where his tray was. Whenever Brenda brought by food before leaving, he wasn't in the mood to eat, so he had plenty left over. He brought the remainder to him. "Here you go," Thomas said, tussling his hair slightly. 

Minho walked over with a freshly-poured cup of tea. "Here, drink this, too." 

Jacob definitely didn't seem to mind being given food and drink, and he just nodded as he ate and drank in silence. Thomas looked towards the main rooms. "Do you think anyone else is up?" 

"Go check," Minho said, sitting beside Jacob on the desk. Jacob just scooted over slightly to give him more room. 

Thomas nodded and started out. He immediately checked on Newt, of course. Nothing yet; but now that Jacob was up, he was overcome with such a feeling of hope. He walked down the rooms. Jade's sleep definitely seemed lighter, and she looked relaxed now. 

Sadly, no one else was up yet. 

Thomas walked back in to the office. "No one's up yet," Thomas said with a sigh. 

Minho and Gally let out a sigh. "So now what?" Gally asked.

"I guess we just wait until more people wake up," he said with a shrug. 

Thomas wandered back out and over to Newt's bedside. He knelt beside it and sighed, wishing he'd wake up. He missed him so much already. For the past two years, they were only separated when Newt was out; and he always came back. Now they were separated due to this sickness- Thomas didn't like it one bit. He took Newt's hand and watched him. 

He didn't look much worse, but he didn't look any better either. He was paler now, and his breaths were a little more labored, but he sure did look better than the others. 

Thomas groaned and pushed himself up. He wandered back into the office, where Jacob had just finished up eating, and was drinking down the rest of his tea. Minho sighed, sitting beside Jacob on the desk. "We should probably take Jacob back to his dad." 

Jacob frowned. "But mommy and Newt," he whined; that kid really did like Newt. 

Minho ruffled his hair. "Well if you're getting better, we don't want to keep you here and risk ya getting sick again. They'll be better in no time, you'll see." 

Jacob nodded a little. Minho hopped off the desk. "I'll do it," he said with a yawn. 

Thomas yawned as well, watching them leave. Thomas was suddenly very ready to go back to bed. Apparently Gally was too, because he was settling back onto the floor. Thomas sat back in the chair and pulled his legs up, trying to find some sort of comfortable position on the chair. He just ended up with his left side against the back of the chair, his legs pulled up to his chest. 

It didn't take him long to fall back asleep. 

 

_Thomas slowly opened his eyes._

_He was alone. All the candles were out, and it was freezing. A shiver went up his spine and he slowly unfolded his legs, getting to his feet- his legs aching. He looked around, squinting through the darkness. He really was alone. Gally was gone, Minho never came back._

_Thomas became irrationally nervous now. He couldn't imagine why they would just leave without telling him._

_Slowly, he started out into the main room. There was a single candle lit, flickering on the floor next to Newt's bed. Curiously, Thomas walked over and picked it up. It looked like it had just been lit. He was more confused than scared now and spared another glance around; he was still alone, despite the sick._

_"Tommy..."_

_Thomas flinched, almost dropping his only light. He looked down towards Newt's bed; with the little amount of light, he couldn't see much, just Newt's body writhing. Thomas took a step forward. "Newt? Are you okay?"_

_Newt had his hands over his face._

_Thomas frowned and knelt beside him. "Newt, what's the matter?"_

_"I'm... Dyin'..."_

_Thomas frowned. "What? No you're not, Newt, what's wrong?!"_

_Thomas moved the candle a little closer towards Newt's covered face. Very slowly, something thick oozed from beneath his hands._

_Blood._

 

Thomas jolted awake, nearly breaking the spine of his chair in the process. 

He looked around, his heart racing, his breathing labored, and a cold sweat against his skin. He put his hand over his chest, trying to focus on calming down.  _It was just a dream,_ he thought, repeating it over and over until it finally felt true. 

The light was shining through the windows now. Gally was laying on the floor, sound asleep. And Minho was curled up on the desk, destroying all the papers underneath him. Thomas rubbed his eyes, the fear ebbing away with every second. 

That was, until he heard the sound of someone throwing up. 

Thomas pushed himself out of the chair, ignoring the protests from his sore legs as he rushed out. His eyes scanned the room quickly, and almost immediately to his right was Newt. 

He had one hand on his stomach, the other bracing himself against the wall. His legs shook and he let out a noise that was somewhere between a groan and a whimper. His eyes turned up to Thomas, and he almost smiled, before his body heaved and he threw up violently. 

Thomas' entire body was pulsing with excitement. He rushed to his side and let him lean on him. "Newt, you're awake!" he cried, not able to wipe the smile off his face. 

Newt gladly leaned on him, letting out a grunt of effort to stand a little straighter. "My bloody head hurts," he breathed, but there was still the slightest smile on his face. 

Thomas carefully scooped him up into his arms. "Come on, let's get you more tea." he said softly. 

Newt's under-eyes were dark, and his skin was pale. His entire body trembled, and he looked dazed and tired, but Thomas still couldn't see him as anything but gorgeous. 

Suddenly, this whole sickness thing didn't seem so scary. 


	11. Chapter Ten- Together Again

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys, there's only gonna be one update tonight, for personal reasons. I'm just having a really hard time today with FAFSA and scholarships, and the more of them I do, the more I realize I might not be able to afford college and it's just really bumming me out. I'm super sorry guys! 
> 
> ***I do NOT own the Maze Runner series or any of the characters!***

Minho was on them the moment Thomas walked back into the office. 

He let out a sigh of relief and looked like he wanted to hug Newt, but wasn't sure how to go about it with him in Thomas' arms like that. "Oh thank God you're up, dude. I was starting to get worried." 

Gally looked somewhat pleased for the first time in the past couple days. "It looks like the tea is actually working!" 

Thomas walked over and sat Newt down on the desk carefully. "It worked," Thomas said quietly to him, still smiling widely. "I'm going to get you more tea, okay?" 

Newt just nodded, a small smile finding his face. Thomas could see the pain in his eyes, and didn't doubt it was from a throbbing headache. Newt moved so slowly and carefully, as if that was all he could manage. It probably was. Thomas kept a close eye on him as he poured him a cup of tea. Minho sat beside him on the desk and placed his hand on his forehead. "You're burning up, but nothing like before." 

Newt nodded, accepting the cup with trembling hands. "Thank God. I was sort of awake and sort of asleep the entire time; it was like being trapped in a little room filled with heat and pain," he said, taking a sip of his tea. "I'm glad to be out of it." 

Thomas frowned and hugged him gently. "I was so worried about you." 

Newt laughed a little. "I know, every now and then, when I would come to for a minute, there you were, holdin' my hand." 

Thomas blushed a little and kissed his forehead. He had to admit, he was glad that Newt knew Thomas was waiting for him, even in that state. He never wanted Newt to feel alone in anything, especially not this. 

Gally leaned over the pitcher and frowned. "We're almost out of this stuff," he said, looking at the others. "What are we gonna do?" 

Newt rubbed the temple of his head. "Not yet," he groaned. "We'll think of something later, okay? My heads bloody killin' me." 

Minho nodded. "I need someone else to help me with these decisions, I'm done doing them on my own." he said, nudging Newt lightly. "Besides, we've still got some left, we could probably give another cup to at least two more people before we really gotta start sweatin' it." 

Thomas had expected Gally to argue or make some comment, but he simply nodded. He looked just as stressed out as the rest of them. 

Minho looked over Newt and seemed to really take in how he looked. He frowned. "Thomas, maybe you should take Newt home to get some rest for the day. You guys can come back at night and we'll decide what to do then."  

Poor Newt; Thomas could see the defiance in his eyes struggling for a place against the pure exhaustion. No one had to do any talking Newt into it. He just let out a sigh of defeat. "Fine, but come get me if something happens." 

Minho grinned. "You don't have to tell me twice." 

They waited until Newt finished his tea, then they were off. Newt insisted on walking, of course, but he at least let himself lean on Thomas as they did so. He seemed to be doing a little better with every minute. "Is anyone else awake?" Newt asked as they walked, very slowly. 

Thomas nodded. "Jacob woke up," he grinned. "First thing he did was start asking about you." 

Newt laughed a bit. "He's a good kid, I'm glad he's okay." 

When they reached their home, Thomas finally went against Newt's wishes and scooped him up, kicking the door closed behind them and placing him on the bed. "I'll go get you something to eat-" 

Newt grabbed his hand as he was turning to leave. "Just stay here with me," he said tiredly. "I'm not hungry." 

Thomas' heart melted. He knew Newt should eat, but how could he say no to that face? With a sigh, Thomas crawled into bed beside him. Newt turned towards him and buried his face in the crook of Thomas' neck. "I missed ya too, Tommy." 

Thomas smiled and held him close. He couldn't believe how much more alive he felt now. He held onto Newt tightly, trying to convey just how grateful he was that they were laying in bed together again. He felt Newt start to relax under him, beginning to fall asleep. 

A seed of panic planted in his chest. "Um, Newt." he blurted. 

"Hmm?" Newt asked, half-asleep. 

"You're gonna wake up again, right?"

Thomas felt Newt smile against him. "I will, I promise. I'm just tired." 

Thomas felt a bit better, nodding.

Even still, he couldn't bring himself to fall asleep. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry guys, this chapter was so lame and short... :( I'll make up for it tomorrow, I swear


	12. Chapter Eleven- Just One Moment

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> My lovlies!! 
> 
> I'm having a much better day today, but please don't kill me- another single update! I'm sorry, I did NOTHING yesterday and am paying for it today with way too much to do!! I'll try and post three tomorrow, as an apology for my horrid timing... I love you all! 
> 
> ***I do NOT own the Maze Runner series or any of the characters!***

Thomas pushed back a piece of messy hair from Newt's face. 

It'd been hours. Thomas wasn't sure how many, he had lost count, but the sun was already starting to set- casting creamy pinks and oranges on the sky, displayed right through their window like a painting. And for all those hours, Newt slept, and Thomas laid awake beside him. 

Yet somehow, he wasn't bothered. It didn't feel like hours, and he definitely wasn't bored. He somehow laid there all that time, completely content with just watching over Newt. The way he lips parted just slightly, and the way his breath would occasionally catch, disrupting the fluid, constant rising and falling of his chest. He watched as color gradually returned to his face, blossoming on his pale cheeks and lessening the darkness around his eyes. The strained look on his face faded away. And Thomas just spent his time being grateful he was back, sleeping next to him again. 

When he noticed Newt's eyes occasionally darting under his eyelids, he slowly began to crawl out of bed. Thomas could only imagine how hungry Newt was going to be when he got up, and even if he wasn't, Thomas would make him eat. 

Thomas had planned to get in and get out fast; so he could be sure to get up before Newt did. Although, it didn't seem Frypan was going to letting him leave so soon. 

After answering all of Frypan's questions, and assuring him Newt and the others were alright, he managed to slip away before the chef could think of any more. Along the way, he met up with Minho, who looked somewhat relaxed for once. "Dr. Smith just woke up," he said before he'd even reached Thomas completely. "Thank God." 

Thomas let out a sigh of relief. "That's good news. Is he okay?" 

Minho nodded. "A little woozy, but he's already up and about. He's worried about Victoria." 

Worry nestled itself right back in the pit of Thomas' stomach. He mentally cursed; it seemed the moment he could stop worrying about one thing, something else filled its place. "Does he think she...?" 

Minho shook his head. "He doesn't know. He says there'll be no way to tell until she wakes up and he can check her vitals." 

Thomas nodded a little. He pushed the dark thoughts away; the last thing he wanted to think about was something bad happening to the baby. 

Minho paused when they reached Thomas' and Newt's door. "Is he awake?" 

Thomas shook his head a little. "He's waking up, though." he said, raising the tray up a bit. "Hence why I got this." 

Minho nodded. "You guys should come back down to the Med-House once he's up and he's eaten." 

Thomas frowned. "Are you staying there? Dr. Smith is up, though." 

Minho nodded. "I know, I know. I just think there should be some hands on deck with this thing. We were pretty gloomy just being in there for a day, I can't imagine it'd be all that fun to be in there, all alone, for awhile." 

Thomas nodded; he was right. "We'll head down there soon." 

Minho seemed pleased, turning and rushing off. Thomas let out a huff- this whole situation was exhausting. But at the same time, in a twisted sort of way, it felt...  _right._ It reminded him of before, and how the moment he woke up in that Box, he was on alert- he always had something to do, some new obstacle to overcome. And now, here he was again. Nowhere near what he had dealt with before, but it was still leaving the smallest little spark in his chest. Thomas couldn't tell if he enjoyed it, hated it, or had just been trained to live with it. He could only imagine it was some chaotic recipe of all three. 

Though the only thing stronger than that, and the entire situation, was his love for Newt. So he was able to snuff out the little fire growing inside him, focus on Newt, and go inside. 

Thomas closed the door quietly, but Newt woke to it anyways. His sleep must've been pretty light. 

He sat up, rubbing his eyes. looking a bit dazed. His eyes found Thomas and a smile formed on his face, bring his sleepy features to life. Thomas smiled and walked over, handing the food over. "How do you feel?" 

"Just fine," Newt said, not hesitating to begin digging in. "Thank you, Tommy," he said, never taking his eyes off the food he was devouring. "I was bloody starvin'." 

Thomas laughed and sat back, letting him eat in peace before he brought anything else up. 

When Newt was finished, he turned his attention back to Thomas. "What's happened?" he asked. 

Thomas was almost surprised, which he didn't understand why. He had been with Newt long enough, he should know by now that Newt was sharp. Thomas just laughed a little at his keenness. "You still manage to surprise me, sometimes." 

Newt smiled warmly, blushing slightly. "And you still manage to make me embarrassed," he said, shaking his head a little. "So what happened?" he asked again, but this time with a smile on his face. 

"Dr. Smith woke up, he's doing fine. But Minho wants us back in there, helping with those who wake up." Thomas explained, getting up with a stretch. "But if you're not up to it, you can definitely stay here and rest more." 

Newt plopped back on the bed. "Ugh, that's not why I'm not up to it," he said, grinning at Thomas. "I just want to stay here with you." 

Thomas walked over and plopped on top of him, Newt letting out a groan. Thomas grinned up at him, pushing off a bit so he wasn't crushing Newt anymore. "I know exactly how you feel. I can't even begin to tell you how happy I am that you're awake," he said, then frowned. "I was so worried I was going to lose you." 

Newt frowned and grabbed his face. "You worry about me too much, I'm always fine!" he said, kissing Thomas' nose. 

"You stopped breathing for a little while after your seizure," Thomas said, shaking his head. "You could've died." 

Newt sighed and hugged him. "I know." he gave him a squeeze. "But I'm here. I'm not dead." 

Thomas nodded, sliding his arms under him and hugging him back. "I know," he said happily. "And I'll do anything to keep it that way." 

Newt just laughed a little. "I love ya, ya dufus." he said fondly. 

"I love you, too." Thomas said, a big smile on his face. 

Of course they had somewhere to go, but instead they just laid there, hugging each other for a little while. They could wait for them, they just needed this time. Thomas could have very well lost Newt, there was no way he was going to take a moment to savor him being back. 

Just  _one_ moment. 


	13. Chapter Twelve- Dark Days

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello lovlies!! 
> 
> It's about 4:30pm here, and the only plan I have for today, besides cleaning, is updating! So I'm gonna post one update real quick, then do some cleaning, then post two more after that!!! And tomorrow, there will only be one update, and it'll be early, cause I'm going out like all day tomorrow!! But day after that, there'll be two updates!!! :) Sound good?? Let's do it! 
> 
> ***I do NOT own The Maze Runner series or any of the characters!***

When they walked in, Thomas instantly noticed how much better it smelled. 

Dr. Smith was a clean man; the moment there was a mess, he was taking care of it. And he was always seen with the Candle Makers, he liked things to look and smell good. Thomas and Newt looked at each other, exchanging a grin. There was no doubt he was up and taking control again. 

Newt went straight for the office, meanwhile Thomas walked down the rows of people who were still ill. 

Jade was gone, and since Minho hadn't come and got Thomas and Newt early, he suspected she was probably fine. David stirred occasionally; he was probably going to be up next. 

Victoria showed no signs of improvement. 

Thomas fidgeted with his hands nervously as he looked over her. Her face looked thinner, somehow even paler than before. Her lips were void of any color; if it wasn't for the sweat beaded over her skin, he would've thought she was freezing. She was so still, save for her somewhat rapid breathing. Thomas swallowed the lump in his throat and placed his hand on her stomach.  _Both of you better wake up okay._

Not feeling anything, he quickly pulled his hand away and moved on. 

Jacob's mother- Mary, he corrected himself, thinking about the way Newt snapped at Minho for not knowing her name- looked almost peaceful. Thomas hoped she'd be fine; it made him sick to think of Jacob going through a loss like that. Lora, their lead soap maker, still looked relatively the same. Her condition hadn't worsened or got better. 

Thomas walked to the last person; Chris. He occasionally twitched and whimpered, like he was going to wake up at any minute. Thomas hung around for a few minutes, but he didn't wake, and eventually quieted down. A grin found Thomas' face when he thought about the way he followed Brenda around, and she wouldn't even give the poor boy the light of day.  _She's going to enjoy having her stalker back,_ Thomas thought, amused, as he walked back to the office. 

Dr. Smith sat in his chair in front of Newt, handing him another cup of tea dotingly. Dr. Smith was weirdly sympathetic of the Gladers the moment he heard their story, right from day one. He went on and on about how kids should never grow up without their parents and all that. Since then, Dr. Smith was probably closest thing they had to a dad- except Gally, Gally was practically Dave's son at this point. 

Minho leaned against the wall, arms crossed. By the way Dr. Smith's desk looked completely spotless, Thomas imagined Minho probably got yelled at for sitting on it. Gally knelt in front of Jade, who sat tiredly in a wooden chair. Gally helped her drink her tea, and she continually stopped to just smile at him; Gally returned it every time.

Brenda was leaning against the wall beside Minho. She smiled when Thomas walked in. "Well there he is." 

Dr. Smith smiled at him. Thomas returned it, surprised at just how glad he was to see him up and about. "You look great." 

Dr. Smith nodded. "I feel great," he said simply, then nodded towards the cups on his desk. "Now why don't you guys go have the others drink another cup." he glanced at Gally and Jade. "Except you two." 

Thomas figured Dr. Smith probably didn't even need to say that; Jade definitely didn't look strong enough to do anything beside rest, and no one expected Gally to leave her.

Newt finished off his, handing the cup back. Everyone else walked over and took a cup. Minho grinned at him. "It's like a party in here," he said sarcastically. 

Newt and Thomas each grabbed a cup and started out. Minho was helping Dave, and Dr. Smith began helping Lora. Thomas was a bit disappointed when he saw Brenda helping Victoria; he felt weirdly possessive of them- Victoria and the baby- as if they all shared the same blood. Newt began assisting Mary, so Thomas moved onto Chris. 

Thomas sat him up, giving his arm a little shake. His eyes fluttered open and he looked around before focusing on Thomas, looking confused. Thomas offered a little smile. "We need you to drink some more of this," he said, moving the cup to his mouth. 

His body shook slightly, but he opened his mouth and let Thomas help him. It was somewhat of a long, boring process. As Chris drank slowly, Thomas' eyes wandered to Newt. Mary was so glad to see him, and she was just all sleepy smiles. She doted on everybody, but that family just adored Newt. It was because he was patient, and he was good with Jacob- adorably so.  _He'd be such a good dad,_ Thomas thought, a longing smile found his face. He wanted nothing more than to see Newt with a child of their own. 

Suddenly, Chris smacked the only half-drank cup out of Thomas' hands, snapping Thomas back to reality. The ceramic cup hit the tiled floors and shattered loudly. Thomas whirled back around to Chris. "Why did you do that?" he asked, trying to be as patient as possible. 

Chris just stared where it had broken, clenching his jaw. He slowly looked over at Thomas and just stared. 

Newt frowned, Mary clinging to Newt's arm fearfully as they both looked at Thomas. "Everything alright over there, Tommy?" Newt asked. 

Thomas just shrugged, and looked back at Chris. "Do you want to go back to bed?" 

Chris just stared at him silently. It was starting to creep him out. Thomas turned his attention back to Newt. "Maybe we should get Dr.-" 

Suddenly there was a deafening crack in Thomas' head, like lightning striking a tree, then darkness- specks of light beginning to pierce through. They began swelling and forming an image; the ceiling. Thomas reached up and touched his forehead, his fingertips came back bloody. Then things gradually began to make sense; Chris had headbutted him. Before Thomas could think much more, Chris was on him, yelling and throwing punches. 

Adrenaline pulsed through him, urging him to do something, but Thomas' head still throbbed, and he just threw up his arms to protect it. Seconds later, Chris was being knocked off of him. By Newt, of course. Newt dropped beside him. "Are you okay?" he asked in a panic, lightly touching the gash on his forehead. 

"I think I'm fine," Thomas said with a grunt. 

Chris just lay on the floor, holding his head. Thomas forced himself to sit up, fighting the swarm of darkness at the corners of his eyes as he did so. Newt clutched onto him, and Thomas let himself lean against him slightly. Everyone was frozen; Brenda was standing in front of Victoria protectively, wide-eyed. Minho watched, looking around, confused. Dr. Smith was walking into the room slowly, looking just as dumbfounded as Minho. Newt just sat, knelt beside Thomas, staring at Chris. Everyone waited for him to move again, but he just lay there, trembling. 

"My head's... Burning," he whimpered, pulling on his hair. 

Then suddenly, he was still. 

His eyes just stared at the floor, completely still. Thomas watched as the life drained out of them. He had seen that before, several times. He knew exactly what had happened before anyone brought it up.

"Did he just...?" Brenda started. 

"... Die?" Minho finished, not able to take his eyes off Chris. 

Newt clutched Thomas' arm, and looked at Thomas; his eyes said it all. 

This sickness could kill. This changed everything. 


	14. Chapter Thirteen- Mourning

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The second update of the night, enjoy! 
> 
> ***I do NOT own The Maze Runner series or any of the characters!***

Dr. Smith shoved past Minho and Brenda and knelt beside Chris. 

He put his hand on his neck and his wrist, his eyes darting all around his corpse. Thomas didn't think it was necessary to check his pulse; he already knew he was dead. He could see it in his eyes. He looked like Janson. Like Teresa. Chuck. Alby... 

"He's dead." Dr. Smith, said shaking his head. 

"And he bloody attacked Tommy!" Newt added, shaking his head. "Why!?" 

Dr. Smith pulled a thermometer out of his pocket; one of the things WICKED had left for them. They surprisingly didn't leave them much medical equipment. He cursed. "106, well that explains it..." 

Newt shook his head. "What?" 

Dr. Smith pocketed the thermometer. "Once a fever reaches 103 degrees Fahrenheit, it can cause delirium, permanent organ damage, and death. Looks like he was suffering from delirium before he died."  

Newt looked at Thomas, and he looked so frightened it broke Thomas' heart. Dr. Smith sat in front of Thomas on the floor, "Come here, let me see your head." 

Newt scooted out of Dr. Smith's way, and Thomas just nodded a bit. He winced as Dr. Smith touched it, but didn't move away from him. Dr. Smith nodded slowly. "You're fine. Just a gash right here above your eyebrow here. But I want you to drink lots of water." he stared deeply into Thomas' eyes. "It doesn't look like you have a concussion, but take it easy anyways." 

Thomas nodded. Newt scrambled back to him and kissed his cheek, then his chin, then his jaw, and all over his face. Thomas laughed. "What has gotten into you?" 

Newt suddenly wrapped his arms around him. "Don't scare me like that!" he said, giving him a squeeze. "I thought he had bloody killed you, you went down so fast." he said, sounding kind of sad. 

Thomas frowned. "Hey, hey, it's fine. I'm fine," he grinned. "And now we're even. You scared me with the sickness, so." 

Newt laughed and pulled away, kissing him. "Alright, that's fair." he got to his feet, holding out his hands. "Let's get you some water." 

To Thomas' surprise, Mary was still awake. She offered her usual sweet smile and took Thomas' hand while Newt got the empty cup from her. "I'm glad you're okay, dear." she said sleepily. 

Thomas smiled. "Thank you." 

She settled back down and was asleep in seconds, but it seemed she had already recovered for the most part. Brenda grabbed Thomas' arm, stopping him. Newt looked back at them, glanced between them for a moment, then walked off. He didn't seem mad, but he wasn't exactly happy either.

Brenda frowned. "Victoria's not doing well." she said.

Thomas frowned and glanced at Victoria. "I can see that. Did she wake up when you were giving her the tea?"

"Barely," Brenda said with a shake of her head. "Isn't she due any day now? What if she has the baby while she's like this? That'll pique her body temperature- she'll die!" 

Thomas frowned, his headache worsening. "I... I don't know," he said with a sigh. "Brenda, I can't deal with this right now-" 

"Will you take the baby?" 

" _What?"_

"If she dies. Will you take it?" Brenda asked, frowning. "I don't know anyone else who will." 

Thomas shook his head at her, shocked she would even speak like that. "Of course I would- but I won't have to, cause she's going to be just fine." And with that, Thomas turned and headed for the office. He felt a little bad; she was probably miserable now that Chris was dead- sure, she was annoyed by him, but she had treated him like a little brother. There was no way she was okay. But Thomas wasn't either, so he supposed he had no other option than to get away. 

Jade was sleeping, sitting beside Gally on the floor now, her head on his shoulder. Thomas had to admit, they were kind of cute. And since Gally was less of a prick, it was easier for Thomas to say that. Judging by the look on Gally's face, though, he had been informed about what happened. 

Dr. Smith made everyone go home for the night, and no one argued. 

Thomas was suddenly in an awful mood. He just sat on the bed while Newt went and got them dinner, insisting Thomas needed to rest. He thought about Chris, which made him think about Chuck. Chris was obviously older, but just by about two years. Both of them were loud, obnoxious. Both had a heart of gold. 

Pain struck Thomas like an hammer and he had to catch his breath, his eyes stinging. 

Newt walked back in. "Sorry, bloody Frypan wouldn't stop talkin' to me-" he paused, setting their food down on the table. "Tommy, you alright?" he asked, sitting next to him. 

Thomas sniffled and nodded. 

Newt frowned and grabbed his face. "What's the matter?" 

"Thinking about Chuck," he muttered, not able to get the words out before he broke down in a sobbing mess. 

This wasn't the first time. The fourth day they had a home, Thomas broke down about the people he had lost. Newt joined him that time, but this time, he pulled Thomas' head against his chest and held it. 

He didn't say a word as Thomas sobbed for hours. 

But Newt had a different way of comforting. He lightly traced his fingers through Thomas' hair, he left barely-there kisses on his head, he held his head to his heart and tangled up with him. Thomas wished he could tell him how much it helped him, but all he could do was break. His mind always worked against him, surfacing memories, and playing Chuck's laugh through his head, clear as day. 

So instead, Thomas just clung to him and let the pain leave him. 

 

Thomas wasn't sure when he had fallen asleep. 

But he had an awful headache, both from Chris and his break down. But he felt a little lighter now; just a bit. He sat up, looking down where Newt slept. Thomas smiled. There was no one, and no one he ever could, love more than Newt. 

He noticed their food on the table; Newt hadn't eaten. Neither had Thomas, though, and he was definitely hungry. He looked out the window; it was morning. Definitely earlier than Thomas usually got up. He crawled over Newt, kissing his nose. "Wake uuuup," he said, kissing his ear, and then his neck, and then his jaw. 

Newt smiled. "Stop, that tickles," he said tiredly, hesitantly opening his eyes. 

"You need to eat," Thomas said, kissing the temple of his head. "Come on, you can do it." 

Newt groaned and looked at him. "Fine, pull me up." 

Thomas laughed and sat him up, smoothing over the back of his messy hair. "You're so cute," he said, kissing him as he stood up. 

Newt just sat there and rubbed his eyes. "Just feed me before I get cranky." 

Thomas passed him one of the plates of food he had brought last night, sitting across from him on the bed with his own plate. Newt pointed at the table. "Uh-uh, there's a glass of water on that table, and you're bloody drinkin' that first." 

Thomas sighed and went and got it. Newt nodded as he began to eat. 

Thomas drank the glass of water, pouting the entire time. 

 

After a trip to the lake, they headed back to the Med-House. 

They walked into the office, where Dr. Smith was sitting, scribbling something down. He smiled when he noticed them. "We've only got one more sick one." 

Newt smiled. "Really!? What happened?" 

"Just an hour or so after you kids left, Mary was up. I sent her home with some tea." he said, then looked thoughtful. "And then... About... Four in the morning, Dave woke up. He's resting back at home, as well. Lora just went home a few minutes ago."

Thomas' heart sank. "So Victoria is..." 

"Still sick," Dr. Smith said with a solemn nod. 

"But the baby..." Thomas said. "Is it alive?" 

Dr. Smith exhaled deeply. "It's hard to say. There's no way for me to tell until she wakes up, and it's either born, a stillborn, or she miscarries." 

Thomas grimaced. "And... Which one do you think is more probable?" 

Dr. Smith looked him up and down and shook his head. "You don't really want to know that." 

Thomas glanced away. "No, I guess I don't." 

 

They spent a couple hours with him; the others slowly returning. 

Jade was up and about now, all warm smiles as usual. Thomas had to admit, he was pretty frustrated; he pulled Gally aside and found out they still weren't together. 

"Just man up and ask her," Thomas said, "you're just wasting time at this point." 

Gally put his hand to his hear. "Oh?" he asked, pretending to sound confused. "Wh-What's that? Hypocrite?" he said, playfully jabbing his shoulder. "Get back to me when you're married." 

Thomas blushed and pouted. "... Keep your voice down." 

Gally grinned. "Exactly my point." 

Gally had a point that Thomas couldn't argue. He suddenly regretted telling Gally about his plans to propose. 

Thomas considered it, but he decided he should wait until Victoria woke up. She had been waiting, after all. 

 

The day went by slow; none of them needed to be there, but they all stayed, basically just hanging out with Dr. Smith at this point. 

Jade taught the Gladers how to make paper airplanes. Apparently it was a skill most people knew. It wasn't even an hour before everyone voted Minho never be allowed to make anymore, seeing as he had already made a dozen, and hit just about everyone with one already. 

The sun began setting, and people started leaving. Jade first, which meant, of course, Gally left, too. 

Then Brenda, then Minho. 

Thomas and Newt hung around for awhile longer. Newt and Dr. Smith were throwing around ideas on how to get Victoria up. Thomas zoned out, staring out the window. People were beginning to head home. Thomas noticed more and more people out everyday. He grimaced when he thought about Chris, his corpse just laying on one of the beds in the back room. They decided to wait until Victoria woke up to announce his death, assuming she was going to wake up that day. 

Thomas wondered how they'd all react. He knew Chris' family would be devastated, but as a group, this was the first death. Would they panic? Would they all mourn him? 

Thomas heard a whine from the room Victoria was in. He glanced at Newt and Dr. Smith; they hadn't noticed. It was probably nothing, but he decided to go check. 

She was just laying there, breathing rapidly. 

Thomas frowned, wishing she'd just wake up. 

And right on cue, her eyes flashed open. 


	15. Chapter Fourteen- She

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Last update of the night, I'll see you lovlies tomorrow, bright and early!! 
> 
> ***I do NOT own the Maze Runner series or any of the characters!***

Thomas immediately started screaming for Dr. Smith. 

She looked up at him and smiled weakly, then her face contorted into a pained one. "Ah... I think..." 

Thomas knelt beside her as Dr. Smith rushed in, Newt trailing. Thomas took her hand in his. Dr. Smith took her temperature. "Victoria, I... How are you awake? Your temperature... It's 102." 

She suddenly groaned and sat up, clutching her stomach. 

Dr. Smith's face went blank, void of any emotion. "Alright boys," he said calmly. "She's having a baby." 

Thomas jumped to his feet, panicking. "What!? But her temperature, she-" 

"I know!" Dr. Smith shouted over him. "After this, she might not make it. But the baby's coming, regardless." 

Newt had his hands in his hair, looking around with such a look of terror. "Well- what do we bloody do!?" 

Dr. Smith began calmly rolling up his sleeves. "Newt, get me a cold bowl of water and a rag. We don't have ice chips, so you're going to be dipping that rag in the water and keeping it cold, and keep it on her forehead. Understand? Hurry." 

Newt nodded and sprinted off. 

"Thomas, go get my gloves and the towel in the third drawer. And there's a needle in the top drawer of my desk, it's morphine. Just in case she..." he shook his head. "Just get it." 

_Just in case she, what?_

Thomas ran in there, digging through until he found what he needed. His heart was racing so fast, he could barely think straight. But he found what he needed, when he ran out of the office, he crashed into someone, both of them falling all over each other. 

Newt. He had his arms up, holding a bowl of icy water that he had somehow managed to keep from spilling too much. He looked just as panicked as Thomas. Thomas pushed himself up, collecting the things he'd dropped. The two of them went rushing in the room. 

Victoria was laying back, her pants lay on the floor, a blanket on her from the waist down. She seemed to be going in and out of consciousness, her eyes fluttering. Newt knew his job already, and he knelt at her side, placing the rag on her forehead. 

Thomas handed the gloves over. 

"Put a pair on," Dr. Smith said. He apparently noticed the color drain from his face. "Just in case." 

Thomas did as told, his hands shaking. He walked over on the other side of Victoria, opposite of Newt. When she saw him, she grabbed his hand. "Baby's coming," she said weakly, a small smile on her face. 

Thomas' heart broke; chances were she wasn't going to live to see it. He just smiled and nodded. 

Suddenly, she squeezed his hand so hard, he was sure it'd break. But he stood there, and he let her. She was screaming in pain, Thomas could suck it up for awhile. 

"How long do you think she's been in labor if it's coming already?" Newt asked, sounding pained. Then Thomas understood, noticing Victoria's other hand clutching Newt's. 

"Maybe an hour," Dr. Smith answered distractedly. 

Thomas looked down at Victoria and a scary thought crossed his mind; what if the baby was sick?

Thomas' mind was spinning; fear and excitement were an odd mix. And his mind was spinning to the point where he simply zoned out. He imagined lots of things; healthy Victoria and healthy baby, sick baby,  _dead_ baby. He tried very hard to avoid imagining Victoria dying, but the image still crept up. Thomas wanted a baby, but not like this. 

Thomas snapped back to reality when Victoria suddenly stopped screaming and squeezing his hand. 

Dr. Smith was huddled over something, then he stood slowly, a still baby wrapped in a towel in his arms. Everyone watched in silence. 

Then a little cry filled the room, and the tiniest hand Thomas had ever seen stretched out. 

Thomas put his hand over his mouth. He was crying, he knew he would. Dr. Smith smiled a little. "Look at that," he said, looking over them. "She's healthy." 

_She._

Thomas just stood there, one hand over his mouth, the other over his chest. He had no idea what to do, but standing there and crying seemed like one of the worst options. 

Newt just stayed crouched besides Victoria, his eyes wide. He had never looked so surprised in his life. 

"Come here," Dr. Smith said with a laugh, nodding at Thomas. "I know you want to." 

Thomas looked at Victoria, who just smiled and nodded. "Hold her," she whispered, "then let me see her." 

Thomas walked over slowly, hesitantly opening his arms. Dr. Smith placed the little bundled up, bloody mess in his arms. If he hadn't been crying already, he would've started then. 

She was so small. Her little face pink and flushed, but she was already starting to settle down. Her dazed her eyes blinked and found Thomas; they were green. She reached out and touched his face, and he laughed, catching her little hand with his own. He couldn't believe how small they were. He smiled at her, and she smiled back. And Thomas was in love with her. So fast. 

He walked over to Victoria and angled the baby so she could see. Her eyes filled with tears and she smiled widely. "She's so... beautiful." 

Newt was standing now, staring at her. He almost looked scared, or like he was in disbelief that there was actually a baby. Thomas just smiled at him; he was so adorable. Thomas mentally laughed at himself. He was holding a newborn, and he still found Newt to be the cutest thing in the room. 

Victoria reached a weak hand out and took one of the baby's. The baby laughed, making Victoria half-laugh and half-cry. 

Slowly, Victoria's hand fell away. Her eyes slid closed and she was still. "Victoria?" he asked, panicking. "Victoria?!" 

Dr. Smith rushed over, and Thomas met Newt half way. "Take the baby," he said quickly, putting it in Newt's arms. Thomas knew the baby wouldn't remember, of course, but he didn't think she should be there if her mother was dying. "Take her out of here, go to the office, clean her." 

Newt looked frazzled, but he nodded and rushed out. 

Thomas went to the side of the bed opposite from Dr. Smith and grabbed her hand as Dr. Smith started checking her pulses. 

"Well?" Thomas asked, squeezing her hand, wishing she'd wake up. 

Dr. Smith frowned.

"It's not good." 


	16. Chapter Fifteen- Alex

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So sorry lovlies!!   
> We had a big blizzard here, and I got snowed in at my friend's house for two days! D: But I am back home with snuggly socks, my dog, and a blanket, so let's continue! >:) 
> 
> ***I do NOT own The Maze Runner series or any of the characters!***

_Not good?_

"What does that mean?" Thomas asked incredulously, looking over Victoria for some signs of life. He could still the faintest traces of her breathing. "She's alive, isn't she?" 

Dr. Smith wouldn't answer any of Thomas' questions. He just shut him out and focused; checking her temperature and pulse and doing all kinds of things that Thomas couldn't find a reason for.  _She's either dead or alive, isn't she?_ He was starting to get frustrated with the silence. 

"She's in a coma." he said after a moment. "Her temperature was too high, and when it elevated even farther when she was in labor... She's lucky to be alive," he said with a nod, looking over at Thomas. 

Thomas looked down at her. He was relieved she was alive, but now what? "When is she going to wake up?" Thomas asked. 

Dr. Smith shrugged. "Could be tomorrow, next week, years from now, or never. All I can do now is keep her alive and hope she wakes up."

Thomas looked down at her. "She'll wake up." he said with a nod. "I know Victoria; she's going to wake up."

Dr. Smith didn't seem so sure. Instead, he nodded towards the office. "Why don't you two take the baby out of here? I don't want to risk her being exposed to the sickness here." 

Thomas nodded a little. He felt almost numb; after all the adrenaline, he was left feeling empty. And seeing Victoria laying there was sapping more life out of him by the second. She deserved to be with her baby, but instead, she was like this.  _Years. She could miss her baby growing up..._

Thomas forced his legs to move, walking to the office. 

He walked inside and saw Newt there, sitting with the baby in his arms; she was clean now, wrapped up in a new, clean towel. She was sleeping now, and Newt watched her closely, still bouncing his arms just slightly. The sight brought a fresh breath of life into Thomas and he smiled. Newt looked up at him when Thomas stepped inside. He got to his feet. "Victoria?" 

"She's alive," Thomas said, frowning. "But she's in a coma." 

Newt looked down at the baby, then back up at Thomas. Thomas walked over and kissed his head. "We need to take her out of here before she catches the sickness." he said, his mind spinning with what to do next. 

Newt didn't say much, just nodded. Thomas searched his face for some indication about how he felt, but he couldn't find a thing. After all these times, Newt could still be a complete mystery to him. It was exciting and scary all at the same time. Before he could let thinking about Newt drive him crazy, they stepped outside together.

For the first time since Victoria's eyes had opened, Thomas felt like he could breathe again. The cool night air was a blessing, and he suddenly felt like everything was going to be okay soon enough.

As they walked, people's doors began opening; curious faces peeking out at them as they walked. Thomas grimaced, he was tired, he didn't really want to explain everything to everybody. Thankfully, before anyone could do more than stop and stare, Minho spotted them and headed over. He stopped and looked at the baby in Newt's arms, his face resembling something like a deer caught in headlights. Then he looked over at Thomas. "She had the baby...?" 

Thomas nodded. "Yeah. She's in a coma."

"You shanks look like you're gonna fall over and die," Minho said gently, his eyes continuously, involuntarily flicking back to the baby. "Come on, I'll make sure no one bothers you guys on the way there." 

"And in exchange, we'll have to tell you everything, right?" Thomas asked with a grin. 

"Oh Thomas, you know me so well." 

 

Minho was loyal to his promise. Several people came out with so many questions, but Minho shooed them away, assuring them that all their questions would be answered in the morning. One of those people was Gally, who Minho told to get the baby supplies out of Victoria's house. 

When they made it home, Thomas and Newt sat on the bed. Minho pulled up a chair and looked over the baby. "We should wait until Gally gets back to start the story," he said. 

Everyone had a hard time looking away from the baby. The Gladers had never seen a baby before, not that they could remember anyway. It was like looking at a little toy; surely she was too small to be real. 

Gally came in, carrying the crib, full of supplies. Jade came in after him, holding nothing other than a full bottle; Thomas just grinned at Gally, assuming he had insisted that Jade not carry anything. Minho didn't seem to mind that Jade had tagged along. "Hurry it up, I wanna hear what happened." 

Jade sat beside Thomas and tried to hand the bottle to Newt who just handed the baby over to Thomas with a nervous shake of his head. Thomas took her as he began talking; the sooner the others left, the sooner Newt could get some sleep- he looked exhausted. Thomas figured out how to use the bottle pretty quickly, and it helped that the baby was hungry. 

No one spoke while Thomas spoke, and the only movement was Gally setting everything up, but the majority of his attention was on the story. When Thomas finished, it was silent for a moment. Then Minho just sighed. "We've got a lot of issues to handle tomorrow," he muttered. 

"No kidding," Thomas said, pulling the empty bottle away. 

Almost immediately, the baby burst into sobs. Thomas panicked, looking around at the others for help. Minho's face had gone blank and he frowned. "What did you do!?" 

Thomas frowned and poked at her stomach lightly. "Don't cry," he said nervously. 

Gally just shrugged. "She just hates you, Thomas." 

Thomas turned to Newt, who had already gotten up; he and Jade rummaging through the supplies calmly. Newt came back with a bottle, Jade just rolling her eyes. "You guys are idiots," she said with a grin. "It's a good thing Newt's here, otherwise this baby wouldn't stand a chance." 

Newt grinned and handed the bottle to Thomas. "She's still hungry." he grinned up at Thomas. "Obviously." 

Thomas laughed sheepishly. "I... Yeah, I guess that was obvious." 

And of course, Newt was right; the moment the bottle was back, she eagerly went back to eating. It occurred to Thomas that he didn't think very well when she cried, he just panicked. 

No one said a thing, but they all watched as the baby ate, slowly falling asleep as she did so. 

Jade smiled. "Well? What are you going to call it?" 

"It's not ours," Newt said simply. 

"Actually," Thomas said, "Victoria already had names picked out. She wanted to name her girl Alex." 

"Alex it is then," Minho said. With a groan, he stood from his chair, sliding it back where it went. "Well, come on guys, let's give them sometime to sleep. But I'll be by early tomorrow, we need to have a Gathering before we address everyone."

Thomas sighed. "All this getting up early." 

Minho's eyes lingered on Newt for a moment before he left; and Thomas frowned to himself. He had suspected something was wrong with Newt, but Minho made that fact. There was a bit more wrong than just being tired. 

Gally and Jade said their goodbyes, and then everything was silent. Thomas stood and carefully placed Alex in her little crib, pulling the little blanket over her. He looked over her for a moment and his heart warmed; she was so tiny and sweet. There was only one other person he had ever met that he had fallen in love with so fast. 

Speaking of, he turned to Newt. "Hey." 

Newt smiled. "Hey." 

Thomas crawled on the bed. "How are you feeling?" 

"Exhausted," Newt said, laying back, pulling the blankets over him. He reached out his hand and pinched Thomas' cheek. "How are you feeling?"

Thomas joined him with a sigh. "Ya know. Definitely tired." 

"You're worried about Victoria, aren't you?" Newt asked, messing with Thomas' hair affectionately. "She's going to be fine, ya know." 

Thomas smiled and nodded. "I'm sure she will be." 

Newt nodded and scooted closer, resting his head on Thomas' chest. Thomas wanted to pry; ask him what was wrong, when he thought Victoria would wake up, what he thought about Alex, if he was happy about it- but he was so tired. Newt seemed to feel the same, cause it wasn't long before Thomas could hear him sleeping. 

Newt's sounds of sleep encouraged Thomas to do the same, and soon, he was deeply asleep. 


	17. Chapter Sixteen- One's End and One's Beginning

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here's another update for my lovlies!! 
> 
> ***I do NOT own The Maze Runner series or any of the characters!***

Thomas stirred, rolling over towards Newt. He tried to reach out and drape his arm around Newt, but he wasn't there. 

Thomas shot up in a panic, looking around. He calmed when he saw Newt standing over Alex's crib, whispering to her, with one hand in the crib- she responded with the occasional excited giggle. 

Thomas smiled; Newt hadn't noticed him yet. He took a moment to watch them together. All Newt had to do was smile at her and she laughed and reached for him. Thomas pushed himself off the bed and walking over, hugging Newt from behind, looking over his shoulder. She saw him and laughed again. Thomas smiled. "She looks just like Victoria." 

"She does," Newt said, tickling her stomach. 

She grabbed at his hands; they were so much smaller than his, it blew Thomas' mind how a person could be so small. 

"We have to go, soon." Newt said, pulling his hand away and standing up straight. He turned to Thomas. "I figured we could see if Jade would babysit for us. We're gonna be busy today." 

Thomas nodded, dreading all that had to be done. All he wanted to do was sit around with Newt and Alex all day. As Newt collected the things they need to bathe, Thomas walked over to the crib and reached inside, playing with her little hand. She grabbed onto Thomas' finger, laughing. She was so happy, it was infectious- Thomas couldn't stop smiling. And he knew that Victoria would be happy, too. 

 

Of course, Jade said yes. She practically shoved Thomas right out of the way, rushing right to their house. 

Now they sat, watching as the Keepers finished showing up. Thomas reached over and took Newt's hand; he seemed better today. Thomas still planned to ask him about, but it seemed he had just been shaken up from the day before. 

Minho called the Gathering to start. 

Newt and Thomas did all the talking; explaining what had happened to Chris, and about Victoria and Alex. The moment the baby was mentioned, everyone seemed eager to see her. It dawned on Thomas that the rest of the village would feel this way too; Poor Alex was gonna have a big day today. No one argued the baby staying in Thomas and Newt's custody until Victoria woke up. 

They decided to tell Chris' family about him first, and then make the announcement. They'd have a burial for him after that. Thomas couldn't help but notice the way Brenda's eyes fell to the floor, looking miserable. 

On a lighter note, they also brought up Cynthia. They decided she needed to go get a check-up with Dr. Smith whether Victoria was in there or not, waiting any longer could be dangerous. 

When the Gathering ended, Minho sent Brenda to tell Chris' family, seeing as she knew them better than anyone else. 

Once the news was delivered, they called a mandatory meeting in the cafeteria. Chris' family was excused from the meeting. 

Newt and Thomas stood beside the table Minho was climbing onto. Thomas smiled when he spotted Jade in the crowd, holding Alex. She walked to them and smiled. "I'm guessing we'll be introducing her?" 

Thomas smiled and nodded. "Yep. Poor girl's about to be completely overwhelmed." 

Thomas couldn't help but grin; Jade had her completely clean- she smelled sweet, like soap, and was dressed in a little, pink onesie- one of the many of baby clothes that had been left for them. 

Minho quieted everyone down by waving his arms around and telling everyone to shut up. Very proffesional. 

"Alright. There's some things you guys need to be caught up on," he announced. He crossed his arms. "We've had all but two recover from the sickness. Chris and Victoria- Chris didn't make it." he said solemnly; people's faces fell, some wide-eyed, but not one looked unaffected by the news. "And Victoria- she went into labor, and her fever was elevated enough to send her into a coma. But," he gestured towards where Thomas, Newt, and Jade stood. "Her baby is healthy. This is Alex." 

Voices erupted throughout the cafeteria, they're voices bouncing off the walls, making it seem much louder than it actually was. Alex's face contorted into a grimace, her face flushed like she was about to cry. Newt took a step forward, speaking to her and taking one of her hands. Within seconds, she was silent, staring at Newt with such fascination. Thomas smiled. It seemed Newt had that affect on people other than just Thomas. 

Minho threw his arms up. "Quiet down!" he shouted, and slowly, everyone did so. "You all can meet her whenever, but not all at once. She's a baby. She's going to be in Thomas and Newt's custody until Victoria wakes up." 

Thomas and Newt exchanged glances; they were going to be having a lot of visitors for awhile. 

Minho nodded. "We're having a burial for Chris in half an hour. Behind the Supply House, if you want to attend. You can go now." he said, stepping off the table. 

Most people, despite their longing glances at Alex, left. Except for a couple of Victoria friends, who came over and took turns holding her, all smiles and tears. Thomas took Newt's hand as he watched them; their faces lighting up every time Alex smiled. "She just spreads happiness wherever she goes, doesn't she?" 

Newt didn't say anything, just watched, leaning his head on Thomas' shoulder. 

 

Newt had to attend Chris' burial, so Thomas would as well. He would've anyways, but the temptation to stay home with Alex would've been there if it weren't for Newt having to go. 

Jade offered to continue babysitting while they were at the burial. But she looked miserable the closer the time neared. Gally decided to stay with her, so she wouldn't have to be alone during this. 

Thomas grabbed Gally's arm. "If you two do anything gross around Alex- I swear." 

Gally pulled his arm away. "I'll keep that in mind," he said, a grin finding his face. "In other words, I won't." 

Thomas shook his head, trying to hide his amusement as they walked away. Newt was already behind the Supply House with Minho and Brenda- and seeing as they still had fifteen minutes until it was time, he took a detour to the Med-House. Dr. Smith was inside, finishing up making up the last empty bed. The entire place smelled like disinfectant again, and all the bed sheets were clean and tucked neatly on their beds. 

Victoria looked so lonely, the only person inside. She looked calm and peaceful, though, which brought Thomas some comfort. The past couple days, she always looked pained and miserable. She was even changed into fresh clothes, she looked like she had been washed as well. 

Dr. Smith spoke, startling Thomas. "She looks much better, doesn't she? Some of her friends came by with a change of clothes. We got her cleaned up and changed, and moved to a new, clean bed." he said with a nod. He looked over at Thomas and told him what he actually came to hear. "She's stable, her vitals are normal, but she doesn't seem to be in any less of a sleep." 

"Her temperature?" Thomas asked, frowning. 

"It's dropping. Slowly. But that doesn't necessarily mean she'll wake up when it's normal again. The fever could've damaged her brain permanently, or it could need some time to recover. Her body took quite the beating. It really is a miracle that she's alive." 

Thomas nodded. It wasn't exactly the best news, but it wasn't bad. 

Thomas walked over to her and sat on the bed beside hers. "She's really happy," he said quietly. "And she adores Newt. I can't wait to see how much she adores you when you wake up." he said, waiting for a moment, hoping for something to indicate that she had gotten his words. Of course, he didn't get one. Thomas sighed, reaching over and giving her hand a squeeze before standing. 

He wandered into the office, where Dr. Smith was currently blowing out candles. Thomas offered a little smile. "You're coming to the burial?" he asked, feeling weird about not saying funeral. Though, burial seemed a bit more honest. 

Dr. Smith nodded. "Of course. Are you?" 

Thomas nodded. "Of course." 

"Speaking of," Dr. Smith said, motioning to one of the extra chairs. "Sit down, let me look at your head." 

Thomas did as told. He winced when Dr. Smith touched it, but he seemed pleased. "It's healing nicely." he pulled open a drawer, pulling out a large bandage. "But we should get that covered up." he said, unwrapping it and placing it on Thomas' head a bit stronger than Thomas would've liked. "That'll help keep infection away." 

"Thank you," Thomas said, watching Dr. Smith close his drawer. The supplies they were left really were amazing. Bandages, gauze, morphine, vitamins, pain killers, syringes, stitches- you name it. They were so valuable, though, that Thomas worried if they weren't careful, they'd run out. It was scary to think about what they'd do. 

But Thomas reminded himself that the section for medical supplies in the Supply House was the biggest. Hopefully, they wouldn't have anything to worry about for a long, long time. 

"Ready to go?" Dr. Smith asked, pulling on a jacket. 

Thomas nodded. 

 

Thomas didn't know what he was expecting, but seeing the large hole with Chris inside wasn't quite it. 

But what else were they going to do? Use precious planks to build a coffin? Thomas wished they could, but they just didn't have the resources. Though Chris looked clean, and wore clean clothes. The sun had just set; the darkness still had a deep blue smeared across it. Though, it would've been impossible to see anything in the heavy dusk if it weren't for the wooden poles they had burning. 

Thomas looked around, and he could see why they chose behind the Supply House to be the new cemetery. It was spacious, and the surrounding trees were beautiful and serene. It seemed appropriate. 

Thomas also felt an odd swell of pride to see everyone there, save for Jade and Gally- who were still mourning. Several people held a flower. Dave had taken it upon himself to make a little grave marker. It was definitely better than the ones in the Glade; Chris' name was neatly written across it, but nothing more. 

Thomas was startled by a hand on his back. He turned to his side to see Newt beside him. Thomas looked around. "I didn't expect everyone to come." 

"Me neither," Newt said, looking around. "It's nice, though." 

Minho got everyone's attention. He rubbed the back of his head, looking around. "I'm not really sure what to say. I guess come up and say goodbyes, then we'll bury him." he said, sounding solemn. 

It was so weird to look down at Chris, dead. This place was their paradise, there weren't supposed to be deaths and comas and sadness in paradise. Though Thomas supposed it was inevitable- so he decided to be grateful, instead, that it took two years for anything to go this wrong. 

Newt and Thomas stood off to the side as people walked up, some just staring down sadly, some muttering some words under their breath, and some dropping flowers inside. Many people were crying, others looked like they were on the verge of it. 

Thomas watched them and something, among all this solidarity and misery, felt  _good._ Everyone came together to mourn him, rather than just his friends and family. It struck Thomas then that they were a family, everyone. This entire place. There was something very powerful about that. Thomas looked to his side, where Newt's eyes watched the people pay their respects. He looked solemn, but having him right there meant everything. 

When everyone had finished, dusk was long-gone. The stars hung above them and the giant moon cast liquid silver over everyone's faces. Chris', included. Minho motioned for them to come over, and Minho, Thomas, and Newt began burying him. It was sad, watching his white skin- glowing by the moonlight- be covered with dirt. Like his existence was just being wiped away, snuffed out, abandoned. And he'd lay beneath them, becoming only bones, and Thomas knew that everyone- or at least just himself- would never forget that. That when grass grew over his grave, Chris would still be there. 

A couple people came forward to help, and the job was done very quickly. Minho sighed and placed his hand on the grave marker. "We'll see ya later." he said, and with that, people started heading home. 

Thomas looked at Newt and held out his hand. Newt walked over and took it, "I'm definitely ready to get some bloody sleep," Newt said. 

Thomas nodded. "Agreed." 

As they walked back, Thomas remembered that that could've been Newt in the ground. "Newt, I love you. More than anything." 

Newt looked over at him, seeming somewhat surprised. "I love ya too, Tommy." he said, a smile finding his face. 

When they reached their house, Thomas reached out to open the door, but Newt stopped him. "Not yet," he said, grabbing Thomas' face and pulling him into a kiss. 

Thomas smiled into it. Newt always knew just what to do. Thomas wrapped his arms around Newt's waist, and pulled him in close, his heart felt like it was going to burst. And even if Thomas was familiar with that feeling by now, he still worried it might happen each and every time. 

They stood out there, bathed in moonlight and darkness, even as everyone else went back into their homes. 

Thomas lost track of time, but he didn't need it. _Not yet._  


	18. Chapter Seventeen- Never More Than You

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Lovlies!! 
> 
> I'm sorry! I came home early from school yesterday cause I threw up, and I felt so sick and crappy that I laid down for a nap.... I never got back up until this morning... XD BUT. I am feeling much better, and didn't go to school, so I'm going to attempt to post extra updates :3 Enjoy! 
> 
> ***I do NOT own the Maze Runner series or any of the characters!***

Thomas woke up to Newt's hand on his face and Alex crying.

"Go get her," Newt grumbled, pushing on Thomas' face. "Your turn." 

Thomas grinned and sat up. "My turn? We've had her for like two days." 

Newt smiled sleepily. "Well then you're first." he said, rolling over. 

Thomas laughed and leaned over, kissing his head before crawling off the bed. He stretched, checking Newt's watch. Four in the morning. Gross. Thomas shuffled over to Alex, grinning when he saw all their supplies were organized- that was Jade's doing, when she had stayed and babysat during the burial last night. 

Thomas picked Alex up and stared at her, not sure what to do. He just held her close. "Don't cry," he said, bouncing her slightly. 

Much to Thomas' surprise, she actually began calming down a bit. Thomas had to fight the urge to wake Newt up just to tell him he got the baby to feel better. 

Thomas stood there, swaying slightly, for about ten whole minutes before she finally fell asleep in his arms. Very slowly and carefully, he laid her back in her crib. He smiled and looked over her for a moment. Just looking at that little face made him love her even more. 

He turned and crawled back into bed, wrapping his arms around Newt. 

And he had to admit, he was happy. 

 

Thomas awoke, once again, to Newt. 

Newt was standing over him, shaking his shoulder. Thomas groaned. "What time is it?" 

"Seven," Newt said, absently messing with Thomas' hair. "I'm leavin', you need to watch Alex. Probably feed her, too." 

Thomas sat up and rubbed his eyes. He looked at Newt, who was turning to leave, and grabbed him by the waist of his pants, pulling him onto the bed with him. "Hey, how are you feeling?" 

Newt just shrugged. "What are you talkin' about?"

"You seemed upset the other day." Thomas persisted. "What was wrong?" 

"It's... Stupid- just forget it."

Thomas frowned; Newt wasn't the kind to keep anything from Thomas. He took Newt's hand. "Come on, you know you can tell me. No matter how stupid it is." he said, offering a smile. 

Newt returned it slightly. "I just..." he glanced at Alex's crib. "I don't know. You always talked about a baby, and were always so excited. And now that we have one, at least for a little while, I'm just a little worried." 

Thomas shook his head, confused. "Why?" 

Newt's blushed. "I don't want you to love anyone more than me." he said with a sheepish laugh. 

Thomas was speechless for a moment. He couldn't even begin to understand how Newt would feel that way. Thomas shook his head and turned Newt's face towards him. "You're crazy." he said simply, kissing his forehead. "There is no one, ever, that I could love more than you. Do you understand? Yes, I love her, so much, but not more than you. Never- Never more than you." 

Newt looked flustered for a moment, before just wrapping his arms around him. 

Thomas hugged him back closely. He grinned. "Well, you were right about it being stupid." 

Newt just bit his neck, and Thomas laughed. He deserved that one. 

 

After Newt left, Thomas had an interesting time figuring out how to properly use a diaper. 

He managed, though. And he was positive he would've figured it out on his own, even if Jade hadn't come by to check in. 

Needless to say, Jade had become their regular babysitter. They agreed she'd come by at around nine every morning so Thomas could go get cleaned and dressed, and check on Victoria. 

After he was bathed and dressed, he began walking to the Med-House. He caught eyes with Newt along the way, who was with Minho, discussing something with the Builders. Newt just smiled at him, and Thomas returned it, suddenly feeling drawn to Newt's side. But he managed to focus on the task at hand. 

When he walked inside, Dr. Smith wasn't there. Probably getting food; he spent almost all his time in the Med-House nowadays- especially now that Victoria was there. Thomas walked to her and sat on the bed beside hers. She looked so relaxed, if Thomas didn't know better, he'd say she was just sleeping. Thomas sighed. "You're missing out," he said. "She's precious." 

Thomas reached over and took her hand. It was a little cold, even. 

"I hope you don't miss much more." 

Thomas had no idea then just how much she would be missing. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Kind of a short chapter, but just consider it a transition chapter ;)


	19. Chapter Eighteen- Newcomers

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Another update before I do the homework I've been pushing off ;) 
> 
> ***I do NOT own The Maze Runner series or any of the characters!***

Nine and a half months goes by shockingly fast when there's a kid around.

Thomas watched them sleep; Newt, with his back to Thomas, and Alex in between them, facing and sleeping against Newt's back. He smiled. At this point, it was just a danger to have her in the crib. She could only walk with assistance, but that didn't stop her from trying to throw herself off the edge of the crib. They thought it would be better if she slept between them. 

Thomas did a lot of waking up early nowadays. He hated it, of course, but he liked to get dressed and ready quickly so he could go visit Victoria. 

Thomas leaned over Alex and left a little kiss on Alex's forehead, then left a kiss on Newt's ear, then his jaw, then his neck... 

Newt stirred, giggling slightly. "I'm up, I'm up," he said, twisting slightly to grin at Thomas. 

Thomas grinned. "One more." he said, kissing him on the lips before finally sitting up. Newt slowly did the same. He glanced down at Alex and played with her hair. It was tar black, and awfully thick. Just like her mother's. "Look at all this hair." he said, smiling. 

It stopped just above her ears, but it seemed like a lot for a baby. Though she was almost ten months, Thomas supposed. She was definitely an active baby. She liked to hold Newt's hand around the house, it was the only way she could stand. She couldn't talk yet, which the others, who had had babies before, said was normal, but that didn't stop her from making all kinds of sounds. It also didn't stop her from being offended when Thomas couldn't understand what she was saying, but somehow Newt figured it out every time. 

Newt carefully crawled over Alex, and then just sat on Thomas' lap, facing him. Thomas grinned. "What're you doing?" he asked slyly. 

Newt leaned in slowly. "Ya know..." he leaned back suddenly, with his watch in his hand. "Just gettin' my watch off the dresser." 

Thomas smirked. "You tease." he said, attacking him, pinning him to the bed and stealing a kiss. 

A knock came from the door and Thomas groaned, glaring up at the door. "That girl has the worst timing..." 

Newt laughed and pinched Thomas' cheek. "Stop poutin' and go let her in." 

Thomas pouted anyways, getting off Newt and walking to the door. Jade stood on the other side, smiling brightly. Gally stood behind her, arms crossed. Jade looked at him, nodded, then back at Thomas. "Gally asked me out today! I said yes!" 

Thomas smiled. "That's great." he said, stepping aside so Jade could get inside. He hoped Gally wouldn't say anything, but of course, he did. "Your turn," he whispered as he stepped inside. 

Thomas glared, shutting the door behind them. Newt was sitting on the bed, criss-cross, beside Alex. "That's great news," he said, smiling at Jade as she walked over. Jade knelt by the edge of the bed, both of them watching Alex sleep with such awe. Gally acted like he didn't care, but he must've been pretty nice to Alex whenever Newt and Thomas weren't there, cause she was always excited to see him. 

"Seriously, your turn." Gally said, standing beside Thomas near the door. At least he had the decency to talk quietly. 

"It took you like a year to ask her out, don't even." Thomas replied with a grin, making the both of them laugh. 

The door opened, hitting Thomas. Minho just stood there. "What are you guys all doing here?" he asked, just letting himself in. 

"You could knock," Thomas replied, rubbing the back of his head. 

Minho rolled his eyes. "Want me to kiss it better?" 

"I'll pass." 

Newt stood up. "Minho, why are you here?" he asked with a stretch. 

"Cause you take forever," he said, glancing at his watch. "It's 7:30." 

Brenda's head poked in. "I thought I saw everyone come here," she said, walking inside. "Have you gone by and seen Jorge and Cynthia's baby? He's adorable." 

Thomas frowned. "I haven't actually. I should." he said, surprised he hadn't yet. Granted, he was born just a few days ago, but still. Jorge was family, the fact he hadn't seen his baby yet was kind of disappointing. "Have they picked a name yet?" 

"He's thinking Joey," she said with a roll of her eyes. "Cynthia says no, so there may still be hope for that boy yet."

Thomas laughed, but the sound was drowned out by Alex's crying. Jade was on her immediately, scooping her up in her arms. She made faces for awhile, calming her down, but she still definitely didn't look happy. 

Newt was busy in the background, collecting his and Thomas' clothes for the day. He walked up behind Jade and smiled at Alex- in return, she laughed and reached out for him. 

Jade pouted. "Not fair, it's my turn with her!" 

Thomas looked around. "She's right, everyone else get out." he said, throwing up his hands. "There's too many people in my house right now!" 

Newt nodded. "Everyone except Gally and Jade, out!" 

Minho turned and walked out, groaning. Brenda just followed, pouting. Newt and Thomas waved goodbye to Jade and Gally, stepping out with a sigh. Thomas shook his head, grinning. He threw his arm around Newt. "Now you two, go away. Unless you wanna watch us bathe, your call." 

"Bye." Minho said, walking off. "Hurry it up!" he called as he left. 

Brenda waved. "See ya!" she said, rushing off.  

Thomas and Newt just shared a victory kiss and went on their way. 

***

Thomas took the familiar route to Victoria. He went there everyday. 

He walked inside, nodded to Dr. Smith, and walked to the same bed as he did everyday. She was thinner now; not grotesquely so, but still enough to bum Thomas out a bit whenever he saw her. 

Dr. Smith came and joined him, handing him a bowl of apple slices. He always did that, seeing as Thomas usually skipped breakfast to come see her. "Thomas..." he said.

Thomas already knew what he was going to say. 

"You said one year." Thomas said firmly, not looking at him- just looking over Victoria's sleeping face. 

Dr. Smith sighed. "That's less than three months, Thomas-" 

"She could wake up in three months." Thomas snapped. 

Dr. Smith sighed, clasping Thomas' shoulder before getting up and leaving. Thomas just frowned, looking at the food in his hands. He felt like his heart was going to fall apart. With a sad sigh, he walked to the office and handed the apple slices over. "I'm not hungry," he said before turning and leaving. 

Next on his list was to see Jorge's baby. 

Thomas wished he visited Jorge more than he did, but his schedule was full, especially with Alex. Well, his schedule was full  _because_ of Alex. Jorge was happy to see him, and Cynthia was as sweet and inviting as always. 

He was tiny, and it made Thomas think about when Alex was that tiny. 

He spent some time, just holding him and catching up. They still hadn't decided on a name, which Thomas supposed was better than Joey. Jorge was already making plans about Alex and him playing together. Thomas thought it was kind of nice; and it would be nice for Alex to have someone around her age to be around. 

They said their goodbyes and Thomas was on his way. He figured he'd give Jade her precious Alex-Time and go find Newt. It didn't take long; he and Minho were in the Supply House, going over inventory. 

Thomas came up behind him, wrapping his arms around him. "How's everything?" 

"Good," Newt said. "They sure did leave us lots of supplies..." 

"The Chancellor did anyway," Thomas said, looking about the giant Supply House. 

Minho nodded. "Looks like we're gonna be good for a long time..." he said with a nod. 

 _A long time._ Thomas smiled to himself. He really could go on like this for a long, long time. 

As if right on cue, to mock him, a loud siren sounded. Like a horn blowing. He had never heard anything like it before, and he looked around, not able to pinpoint where it was coming from. 

"What the heck is that?" Minho asked, looking around. 

Jacob and a handful of the other kids came running in. Jacob ran to Newt and grabbed his shirt in a panic. "We were on the cliff- and-and in the water, coming here..." his voice trailed as he tried to catch his breath. 

Newt knelt in front of him. "What? What is it?" 

Jacob looked around with wild eyes, the other kids standing behind him, looking just as frightened. 

Jacob finally seemed to compose himself enough to answer. 

"A boat!" 


	20. Chapter Nineteen- Getting Acquainted

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello lovlies!! 
> 
> Today was my first full day back at school (and then some; I had a club, then went out to dinner with friends) since break!! It was pretty awesome- Yes, I'm one of the weirdos who enjoys school XD But now I am home, ignoring my homework for as long as I can :D 
> 
> WARNING: The people who show up aren't exactly nice. And they're a little... Nasty, if you know what I mean- cause I'm kind of a dark writer sometimes, not gonna lie... XD But no one is going to have anything nasty done to them, just sayin'. I know some people don't like it when people are like that, and I know for whatever reason it could make people uncomfortable or bring up bad memories, so this is the warning to you now!! 
> 
> AND. This idea of these newcomers, who are a bit nasty, originally came from the amazing Katharina, her brainstorming saved me! I just changed some things and added some :) 
> 
> Otherwise, enjoy!   
> ***I do NOT own The Maze Runner series or any of the characters!***

Thomas looked at Newt, who looked just as shocked. He turned to Minho, whose eyes were on Jacob. "Are you sure? You better not be joking-"

"Obviously he's not bloody joking, that horn's real, isn't it?" Newt defended, turning to Jacob with soft eyes. "Go home, okay? Don't come out until we tell you." he looked at the other kids. "Same goes for all of you."

The kids nodded, taking hands as they ran. Minho and Newt were headed toward their little beach before Thomas could even really figure out what was going on. Brenda was there, a gun in her hand. A couple of the other hunters joined her. Brenda stepped beside Newt, whispering something to him that Thomas couldn't catch. Newt whispered something back, and Brenda gave a look to one of the hunters- who nodded and jogged off. 

Thomas rushed to Newt's side. "What's the plan?" 

Newt glanced at Minho, addressing both of them. " _I'll_ do the talking. Even if they're bad, you got that Minho?" 

Minho just nodded. Newt turned to Thomas. "And you, just hang back in case I need you." 

Thomas just nodded a little. Maybe it wasn't an appropriate time to, but Thomas couldn't help but feel a swell of emotions seeing Newt so fearless. It was times like these that Thomas wondered what Newt ever saw in him, because Thomas saw  _everything_ in Newt, and Thomas didn't even come close to comparing to him. Thomas just decided he was lucky and left it at that. 

When they reached the beach, somewhat of a crowd had gathered behind them. 

All the hunters were there now, guns in their hands. Except for the one Brenda nodded to, that one still wasn't back. Thomas considered asking Newt what they said, but it didn't seem like the time. 

They stood for a good fifteen minutes before the boat finally reached the shore. And it was a  _big_ boat. Somewhere in the back of Thomas' mind, Thomas thought of a fishing boat. And judging by the nets; hanging with dried algae and crusted-on mud, he was right, even if it hadn't been used in a long time. 

One man jumped off the bow, landing somewhat messily in the sand. Behind him, several others began doing the same. All of them were dirty, their clothes dark from dirt and sweat. More and more just kept coming; it seemed there were already thirty, and plenty more were coming off. The vast majority were men, a few teenage boys. There were about six women, looking just as malicious and strong as the men. 

Though there were two girls; couldn't have been older than seventeen. Their eyes were so dark, like they had witnessed truly horrible things. They were different from the others. They stood, huddled fearfully together. Some of the men helped them down. They looked too weak to jump off. They weren't nearly as tanned and muscled as the other men and women, as if they were sheltered from the harsh sun and any labor. 

But Thomas couldn't take his eyes off theirs. They were so hollow, surely too empty for such young girls. 

The man who had first jumped finally made his way forward. The others hung back and watched, snickering and jostling each other around like all this was a game to them. 

The man looked around for a moment, looking a bit lost despite that grin on his face. When his eyes found Newt's, he suddenly seemed much surer, walking to him. 

"Greetings," the man said, his voice strained like he had done lots of yelling. Though Thomas suspected that was how his voice always sounded. He was tall and muscular, but somehow with the cracked skin and black hair with touches of gray, he looked almost handsome. Like maybe he had been before, but now he didn't seem so concerned about the way he looked. 

Newt crossed his arms. His face unreadable, his eyes as hard as stone. "Greetings. Who are you?" 

The man had a careless air about him. He just grinned and shrugged, motioning to the large group behind him. "Just people." he said, looking about the crowd. "We didn't expect to find any others." 

Newt didn't miss a beat. "And we weren't expecting visitors. Where'd you come from? What do you want?" 

"When things got bad, we headed off. Picked up some people along the way. Then went on the open sea." he grinned again. "Thank God we found you guys; we were starting to run low on food. Water." 

"We didn't say we'd help you. Not without-" 

Then the situation changed; the man pulled a pistol from his pocket, nestling the barrel of the gun under Newt's jaw. Behind Thomas, a chorus of guns rising sounded. Every hunter had a gun pointed on the man. The rest of the man's group began pulling out pistols and knives. Thomas' body itched, preparing to fight. 

Newt didn't even show any sign of being bothered. Almost as if he hadn't even noticed the gun. He just stood, arms crossed, a stare like daggers. The man stared back at him for a moment, then laughed, pulling the gun away. "Calm down now," he said, addressing his own people, pocketing the weapon. "I think we got off on the wrong foot... I'm Darius." 

"Newt," he replied sharply. 

"Newt, we don't mean any harm. We could... co-exist. We just can't go back on the ocean, you understand, right? This is a pretty big place, I'm sure you got room." he said carelessly. "Come on now, we got young ones," he said, motioning to the girls, who quickly adverted their gaze. 

Newt looked over the man carefully, then leaned towards Minho, whispering something to him. Minho looked thoughtful, then whispered back into Newt's ear. Newt nodded hesitantly. Neither of them looked happy.

"Six hours from here is the other side of this island. We'll take ya there, and then we see no more of you." Newt said, looking unhappy about it. 

Darius smirked. "See? I knew we could work something out. Though, maybe you'd be willing to give a tour of this place. We'd love to have a look around- just to get inspiration for own civilization, of course." 

This man was dangerous. Of course they didn't want to, but Thomas was smart enough to understand Newt's reasoning. They were  _too_ dangerous. If they resisted these people too much, it could mean more lives lost. The safest route was to get rid of them, to their own section of the island. And they'd just hope they didn't come back, and if they did, then they were dead. 

Newt's eyes hadn't left the girls in awhile. "I take it back." he said simply, making Thomas' blood run cold. Thomas kept his eye on Darius' hand, preparing himself for when it reached for the gun again. "The girls." Newt continued. "You give them to us, and we'll give you a tour and escort you to the other side of the island." 

The girls looked at him, wide-eyed. But there was something there now, some life in their eyes. They looked...  _Hopeful._

Darius eyed Newt for a moment, looking over him like he was just the most complicated obstacle he had ever faced. "Sure..." he said slowly. "But maybe you'd be willing to donate some...  _necessities._ " 

Newt narrowed his eyes. "Like?" 

Darius shrugged a couple times, pretending to be thoughtful. "Well... If they leave, we'll be a little low. You've got a pretty big group just right here, I can't imagine what you've got back in your little village. I'm sure you wouldn't notice if you were to donate a couple girls." he looked Newt up and down just too long for Thomas to be comfortable with. "And boys." 

Suddenly Thomas understood why those girls looked so miserable. 

"No." Newt said firmly, just a touch of disgust in his otherwise unreadable tone. "You either hand them over, and take what we originally offered, or you get nothing." 

Darius chuckled softly. "I like you. It's not often I meet people who aren't scared of me. Deal." 

Several of Darius' people looked at him like he was crazy, but Darius payed them no mind. Instead, he just motioned for the girls to join them. They headed straight for Newt and huddled behind him. 

Darius clapped his hands together. "Now then. That tour." 

Newt just nodded at Minho, who led the way. Newt hung back, and began talking to the girls. Thomas rushed over to him. 

"You're fine now." Newt assured them. "We'll get ya some food and a place to stay once they're gone." 

The girls nodded gratefully, but wouldn't speak a word. Thomas frowned and stood beside Newt. "This seems like bad news," he said, watching Darius' large group follow Minho. There must've been about a hundred of them. 

Newt frowned. "No kidding. We've just got to get them through this tour, and then out of here." 

One of the girls shook her head; she had long, straight blonde hair and emerald eyes. Lifeless, as they were, they were still pretty. She looked at her friend gravely, then back at Newt and Thomas. "You've made a mistake. You shouldn't have let them in here. They'll never truly leave you guys alone." 

Her friend nodded solemnly, brown curls and chocolate eyes. "She's right. They plunder and they hunt. The hunt is their favorite part. They won't stop until they have everything you have." 

Thomas looked at Newt. Newt looked thoughtful, then shook his head. "We must outnumber them by a whole hundred, at least." 

The blonde girl shook her head again. 

"A good hunter doesn't need to worry about numbers." 

A grave feeling crept over Thomas, like cold fingers up his back. He looked at Newt. "Maybe we should catch up with them. See how the tour is going." 

Newt nodded. "Agreed." he said, leading the way. 

Thomas walked at his side, the girls trailing behind them. 

 

The tour actually went much smoother than Thomas had expected. 

They showed them around, but refrained from letting them see inside anything. They also deliberately avoided the Supply House. They stopped near Thomas' and Newt's house, seeing as it was near the end of their little village. 

"There," Minho said, crossing his arms. "Now, you shanks ready to go?" 

Darius looked about his people, nodding. "I think so." 

Minho nodded, calling out who would be taking them. Minho decided he and the hunters would go. Newt would stay back and hold things together back at the village, which was a relief to Thomas. 

It took only a couple minutes for packs of food and water to be prepared for the trip. Six hours there, six hours back. Minho walked over to Thomas and Newt. "I'll be back. Don't cry while I'm gone." 

Newt grinned and nodded. Thomas clasped Minho's shoulder. "Be careful, okay? It's twenty of you against a hundred of them." 

Newt nodded. "If things goes South, run, don't fight. I mean it, I know how you are." 

Minho just grinned and nodded. "Yeah. Okay, I am pretty good at running after all." 

Minho turned towards the others. "Alright, let's go!" 

Thomas and Newt watched as they began to leave. 

Then Alex began crying from inside the house. 

And much to Thomas' dread, Darius turned around with a grin. 


	21. Chapter Twenty- Recovering

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the late update! 
> 
> I finished some Christmas shopping (that I still need to finish finishing tomorrow...), and then we decided very last minute to go see a movie!! Assassin's Creed, it was very good :3 Anyway! Sorry to leave you all on a cliff hanger, but here we go!! 
> 
> *Btw, super lame and small chapter, I know. It's super late and I am EXHAUSTED. But tomorrow's Saturday, so expect long updates! 
> 
> ***I do NOT own The Maze Runner series or any of the characters!***

"Tour's over." Newt snapped as Darius rushed towards their house.

"Cool it, kid." he said, pushing Newt aside. "I just wanna have a little look." Thomas' veins boiled; just as he was beginning to move forward, Darius opened the door. And on the other side, was the hunter that had disappeared from before.

Thomas looked at Brenda, who just nodded at him.  _She's a genius._

The hunter raised his gun. Gally stood behind him; Jade and Alex were huddled against the back wall. Jade glared at Darius, twisting Alex out of sight. Darius stood there for a moment, showing no signs of moving. He still had that grin plastered on his face- it gave Thomas the chills. 

Newt pulled a small knife out of his boot. Thomas watched him, dumbfounded.  _How long has he been keeping a knife there?!_

Newt stepped behind Darius, putting the knife to Darius' neck. "I'll say it again." he growled, "The tour is over." 

Darius laughed and waited until Newt had pulled the knife from his neck before turning around. "I  _really_ like you." he said, a smirk that was anything but innocent. 

Thomas glared. "Yeah, we get it, you can leave now." 

Darius turned his eyes to Thomas for the first time since he'd shown up. They seemed like once, they had been normal. But now there was such an edge of insanity. Thomas supposed it must've been hard for those who led somewhat normal lives to lose everything like they did. Too hard, for some people.

"Something tells me," Darius said, strolling forward. That almost-playful grin of his on his face. "That  _you_ really like him too, huh?" 

Thomas glared, "I think you should go." 

Darius looked over Thomas for a moment, then laughed. "Sure thing, boss." he said, turning back to Minho and the others who were going to be escorting them. "Alright, I'm ready to go." 

He threw a glance at Newt and nodded. "Until next time." 

Newt just glared and watched him go. 

No one did or said anything until they were out of eyesight. Then until they were out of earshot. And then another solid minute after that. Then it was Newt who moved first, rushing inside. "Are you guys alright?" 

Thomas followed. Apparently Jade could tell that all he wanted was to hold Alex, because she handed him over. "We're okay," she said. She looked at Newt fearfully, hugging Gally's arm. "Who was that?" 

"Seriously." Gally said. "We looked out the window and saw them. Then Alex woke up..." 

Alex just sniffled, clutching onto Thomas' shirt with her tiny hands. She mumbled some nonsense that sounded upset, nestling her head under Thomas' chin. Newt leaned over and kissed Alex's head softly, then turned his attention to Jade and Gally. "Hopefully you guys wont need to bloody know who he is. We're escortin' him and his group to the other side of the island." 

Gally shook his head. "You're keeping him here? On this island? Where we  _live_?" 

"How many other islands do you know of?" Newt snapped, sounding annoyed. Or stressed. Probably both. A handful of people had grouped around, shuffling about each other nervously. Newt sighed. "Look," he said, addressing everyone now. "If we had said no, they would've opened fire. We have about thirty hunters, and all bloody hundred of 'em are armed. How well do you think that would've gone for us? At least this way they'll be away from us. Far away. And if they do decide to cause trouble, we'll hear 'em comin' and we'll handle it." 

Everyone seemed to relax a bit. 

It was only mid-day, but Newt told everyone to go home and stay there. He left Thomas and Alex at home to go give instructions to the Cooks, to bring food to everyone and whatever else. 

Thomas just sat on the bed, across from Alex, who was busy playing with a stuffed animal the Chancellor had left them. Thomas wished he could get her more toys. She looked at Thomas; all chubby, pink cheeks and bright, blue eyes. Thomas smiled a little and poked her face, making her laugh and grab Thomas' hand. "We'll be fine." 

When he pulled his hand away, she attempted to stand, but just ended up tumbling back down. She looked incredibly frustrated for a moment, like she was going to cry, but then just crawled over to him. She sat in Thomas' lap, and Thomas handed her the elephant stuffed animal. 

He wished he could've had more energy; he would've walked her around the house, or played with her, but his mind was too busy, using too much of his energy. And stress nagged at the back of his mind about this guy. He thought about the way he looked at Newt. He glared to himself, wishing Newt would come back. He wanted nothing more than to just curl up in bed with him and protect him from everything- absolutely everything. 

Alex's little hand grabbed at his jaw, snuffing out his thoughts. Thomas smiled at her, pretending to bite her hand, making her squeal and giggle. 

The door opened, and Newt stepped inside. He already looked ready for bed. "That was exhaustin'..." he said, kicking off his shoes. 

This time, Thomas looked, and he saw the blade resting in the right shoe. "How long have you had that?" he asked, pointing to it. 

Newt crawled in bed beside him. "You're kiddin', right?" 

Thomas blushed a little. "Uh..." 

Newt laughed and shook his head. "After about three months of livin' here, I started keepin' it around, just in case we needed to cut some trap off an animal. Didn't exactly think I'd be needin' it for anything like  _that_." 

Thomas shook his head a bit. Half-embarrassed he hadn't noticed, half-regretful he didn't keep one on him as well. Newt smiled at Alex as she crawled over to him. Newt was laughing about something she was doing, but Thomas just couldn't seem to stop thinking. 

Newt nudged him. "You okay?" 

"Are you?" Thomas asked, frowning. "You had a gun at your face today." 

Newt shook his head. "I'm fine. You seem a bit out of it." 

"Just thinking," Thomas said, laying back. "You're the one who should be stressed out, not me." 

"Oh I am," Newt said teasingly. 

It was silent for awhile. Thomas thinking, and Newt and Alex playing with her elephant. Only about an hour had passed until Alex fell asleep. She was an easy baby; usually happy, always sleeping, always laughing. Thomas was grateful. 

Thomas sat up. Seeing as he was closer to the edge of the bed, he took Alex and placed her in her crib. He looked over her and couldn't help but wonder what would've happened if Darius had gotten a hold of her. Would he use her against them? More than likely. 

Newt came up and hugged him from behind, burying his head in the nape of Thomas' neck. "Come on," he said, "I think we could use a nap." 

Thomas nodded slightly. 

They crawled back into bed, Thomas wrapping his arms around Newt. He squeezed him slightly. "If he ever comes back, make sure I'm wherever you are." 

Newt just cuddled up to him. "Why?" 

"So if he tries to do something to you, I can kill him." he replied flatly, meaning every word. 

Newt kissed Thomas' jaw. "Don't worry about him comin' back. And don't worry about me- I can handle him." 

Thomas nodded, but he wasn't convinced. Newt obviously noticed, because he grabbed Thomas' face. "Stop bein' so sad. He's gone, and Minho's gonna come back, and we're gonna be fine, just like we've been." 

Thomas sighed. "I just have this sickening feeling that none of this is going to end well." 

Newt frowned and sighed heavily. He just laid his head down, without saying anything. He immediately looked more stressed and exhausted- and it dawned on Thomas just how much was on Newt's shoulders all alone- at least until Minho came back. And all Thomas was doing by being negative was making it worse. Thomas frowned. "Wait, don't get upset!" he said, kissing Newt's forehead. "I'm just being a downer, of course thing's are going to be fine!" he kissed him again. "You're right, you're always right." And again. 

Newt grinned. "I know I'm always right. And I'm gonna remember you said that." 

And somehow, Thomas felt okay; that grin, that tease- everything about him was intoxicating, washing away his worries within a moment of normalcy. 

Thomas smirked. "I walked right into that one," he said, leaning over him and kissing him. "I love you." 

"I love ya too, Tommy." Newt said, smiling. 

Thomas laid back down and held him close. He could feel sleep already starting to take him. And he gladly let it. 


	22. Author's Note

 

Hey lovlies, I just got home! 

It's not that late, but I started getting a cold yesterday, and now it's gotten worse. I desperately need to go pass out! But I don't have anything going on tomorrow, so there will be updates tomorrow, don't worry!! 

I love you all, so sorry, and I will talk tomorrow! 


	23. Chapter Twenty-One- Never a Dull Moment

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey lovlies, sorry, I was hoping to update more- especially since I won't be back until super late tomorrow, but here's this!! 
> 
> ***I do NOT own the Maze Runner Series or any of the characters!***

Thomas awoke to Newt shaking him.

"I'm leavin'. I'm puttin' Alex in bed with ya, don't crush her." he said even before Thomas had opened his eyes.

Thomas opened one eye and watched Newt place her beside him. They always did that early in the morning, so when she woke up later, she couldn't hurt herself crawling out of the crib.

"What time is it?" Thomas groaned, turning his eyes to the window- there was barely any light in the sky. 

"It's six." Newt replied. 

"Six!?" Thomas asked, rubbing his eyes. "Why're you leaving at six?" 

"Minho's not here. I gotta be up before anyone else," Newt said, laughing slightly. He leaned down and left a soft kiss on Thomas' lips. "Sleep. And bloody keep your voice down, she's sleepin'." 

Thomas grabbed the back of Newt's head before he could pull away, kissing him again. "I'll see you later. I love you." 

Newt patted Thomas' forehead, somehow the little action was pretty affectionate. Thomas watched him go, then turned towards Alex. With Thomas' weight shifting, she slid against him, her back to his stomach. Thomas just smiled a little, draping an arm around her before falling back asleep. 

 

When he woke again, it was to Jade's knocking. 

"Come in," he replied, not even bothering to open his eyes. 

Jade giggled when she walked in. "I'm  _late_ , and you're not even out of bed yet." 

Thomas grinned to himself, opening one eye. The first thing he looked for was Alex, relaxing when he saw her sleeping in the same place. "What time is it anyways?" 

"It's almost eight." She said, sitting on the edge of the bed, pulling her legs up under her. "Newt's been real busy all morning. He's even having the Builders not only build extra locks on the Supply House, he's having them build a back-up shed hidden Dave's house to store emergency supplies." 

Thomas sat up with a yawn. "Yeah," he said, rubbing his eyes. "Newt's smart like that." 

Jade pouted. "Yeah, but now Gally's busy all day..." she grinned. "By the way, a little birdie told me you were thinking about asking Newt an _important question_." 

Thomas glared. "Gally told you?! That loud mouth." 

Jade laughed, then punched Thomas' leg. " _You_ should've told me!" 

Thomas really couldn't argue with that. They had all gotten pretty close. Thomas shrugged. "Alright, I'll accept blame for that- but you better not tell anyone." 

Jade pretended to zip her lips shut. Her smile disappeared, and she just looked confused. "But why haven't you asked already? You've had plenty of time. And it's not like he's going to say no." 

Thomas shrugged. "I dunno. I just- Victoria was the first to know. It felt wrong to ask with her still in the coma." 

Jade nodded a little. "I see." 

Thomas got up, stretching. "I should go get dressed and whatnot. Have fun." he said, collecting his clothes and all that stuff Newt usually got. It felt weird to go alone. 

"I always do," Jade sang, taking Thomas' spot and admiring Alex as she slept. 

 

After he bathed and got dressed, Thomas wandered to the Med-House. 

Thomas could've forgotten that Darius and his group had shown up- things were already starting to settle again. When he entered, Dr. Smith rushed to him. "Do you think he'll come back?" he blurted. 

Thomas paused. "What?" 

"That man." he said with a shudder.

"I don't know," Thomas admitted. So much for a normal day. 

Dr. Smith watched him go by. "Those girls came by. I gave them a check-up. They looked pretty miserable." 

"I can imagine why," Thomas said, sitting on the bed next to Victoria's. "Darius and his crew are perverts." Thomas spat bitterly. "The way they asked for people- for girls and boys." he shook his head, frustration gripping him. "The way he looks at Newt-" he stopped short, saving Dr. Smith from a rant. 

Dr. Smith sat beside him. "He's definitely gross." he said with a nod. "Let's just hope he doesn't come back." 

"I'm worried sick about Minho," Thomas said with a sigh. "If he doesn't come back, I don't know what I'll do..." 

"Don't think like that." Dr. Smith snapped. 

Thomas couldn't help but be a little annoyed by his tone.  _You're the one who already wants to give up on Victoria._ But Thomas didn't say it. He meant well. 

After Thomas spent some time with Victoria, he wandered back outside and got some food. When he went to go sit, he spotted those girls, sitting alone. Thomas went over and sat across from them. "Hey. How are you guys settling in?" 

"Very well, thank you." The blonde one replied curtly, a slight nod of her head. 

"I never caught your names- it'll probably take me awhile to remember them, but might as well get started." he laughed, but the girls didn't seem too keen on his joke. 

"I'm Sierra," The blonde girl said. She motioned to her friend. "This is Sophie. She's quiet." 

Thomas nodded. "I'm Thomas, nice to meet you." 

Sierra nodded, a small smile on her face. "You are... with Newt?" she asked carefully. 

Thomas nodded. "Yep. A little over three years now." 

Sierra nodded. "You may want to keep that to yourselves if Darius ever comes by again." she said quietly, exchanging glances with her friend. 

Thomas looked between them. "Why's that?" 

Sierra hesitated, and much to Thomas' surprise, Sophie spoke. "Darius will like that. He already likes Newt because he isn't afraid of him. He loves that, he loves slowly  _making_ people afraid of him. And if he finds out you're together.... He'll use Newt against you. Because he wants to hurt as many people at once as he can. Just. Be careful." 

Thomas sighed. "Thanks, but I think we can handle ourselves against him." 

"That's what they all say," Sophie said under her breath. Thomas was sure he wasn't supposed to hear that, but he did. He cleared his throat, and changed the subject. "Um, did you guys want to know where Newt and I live? In case you need us for something." 

Sierra nodded. "Oh, yes, if you don't mind." 

Thomas nodded. They all finished their food, and then headed that way. 

Thomas let them inside, and watch life find their eyes for the first time when they saw Alex. Sierra and Sophie exchanged excited glances, then Sierra looked back at Thomas. "Can we...?" 

Thomas laughed. "Of course." 

Jade handed her over to Sierra first, smiling. Sierra looked like she might tear up, the shock on her face was almost laughable. Sophie reached over and took one of her hands, gasping softly. They took turns holding her and admiring her. 

In the midst of it, Newt opened the door. He looked surprised for a moment, then just grinned over at Thomas. The girls seemed to relax a million times more when Newt entered; of course, more people attached to Newt. It made Thomas smile. 

"She's beautiful," Sophie said, looking over at them. "Her mother?" 

Thomas shook his head. "She's in a coma. Has been since her birth." 

Sierra frowned. "That's awful. At least she's in good hands." 

Thomas and Newt smiled at each other. Thomas shooed Newt outside with him, closing the door behind him as he did so. 

"They're nice girls," Thomas said. "But they're pretty scared." 

Newt nodded. "Definitely." 

Thomas sighed and kissed Newt's forehead. "How are you holding up?" 

"Worried." he said with a nod. "But... Okay." he said, pulling a smile. 

He and Thomas stood outside for a little while until they heard someone scream. They didn't have time to move before Minho came into view. The Hunters following. 

Sierra and Sophie rushed out, handing Alex back over to Thomas. Newt and Thomas exchanged glances, then went rushing towards Minho- something was wrong. 

When they were only twenty feet away, Thomas could see what was wrong now. He was covered in blood. He searched for a wound, but couldn't seem to find one. Minho was talking to Brenda when he noticed Thomas and Newt, looking over at them- he looked wired and exhausted. 

Suddenly, he just looked like a mix of panic and anger.

"Stay away from me!" he shouted, holding out his hand, looking right at Thomas. "Don't get any closer to me, Thomas!"

Thomas pulled up short, looking at Newt. Newt shook his head. "What bloody happened?!" 

"We had to kill one of his men," Minho said, shaking his head. "Shank had the Flare and attacked me." 

"We're Immune, who cares?" Thomas asked, starting to walk forward again. 

"Don't!" Minho shouted. He nodded at Alex. 

"What if she's not?" 


	24. Chapter Twenty-Two- Alex Meets Victoria

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey lovlies, the weather here is crap, so I got home much later than planned. Assuming we have school tomorrow, I won't be home until late again- so today and tomorrow, super lame, short chapters... 
> 
> ***I do NOT own The Maze Runner series or any of the characters!***

Thomas took a step back, pressing Alex closer against him.

The whole situation had gotten somewhat out of hand. People were panicking as they arrived, seeing Minho covered in blood. They all formed around Minho and Newt, demanding to know if Darius was coming back, and if Minho was okay, and if they should prepare to fight. The overreaction really made it clear to Thomas just how  _terrified_ everyone really was. 

Thomas wanted to say something to Newt, but he couldn't even see him in the crowd anymore. He turned and jogged to Dr. Smith's. He pushed the door open and barged right into the office. "Is she Immune?" 

Dr. Smith raised his eyebrows. "What?" 

"Is she Immune!" Thomas repeated, already getting frustrated. "Is Immunity to the Flare inherited?!" 

"I don't know," Dr. Smith said with a shake of his head. "More than likely," he looked over Thomas' shoulder. "Why? What's going on?"

Thomas calmed down, placing her on the bed next to Victoria's. It dawned on him that he had never really brought Alex by. Maybe he thought it was cruel- or unnecessary. But he thought he might start giving it a shot. 

"Minho came back- he's covered in one of Darius' men's blood. They had to kill him, because he had the Flare." Thomas said, watching Alex stare at Victoria. 

Dr. Smith nodded. "Just keep her away, just in case. Until he gets cleaned up." 

Thomas nodded. His mind spun with the possibilities, but suddenly they were all cleared when Alex climbed off the bed and half-walked, half-stumbled over to Victoria, putting a little hand on her face. Thomas held his breath, half expecting Victoria to wake up. Of course she didn't. 

 

Newt came and found him later. 

"Minho's cleaned up," he said, sitting beside Thomas. Alex was asleep on the hospital bed already. 

"Thank God," Thomas said. "Is everyone calmed down?" 

Newt nodded, kissing Thomas' cheek. "Ya know, she's probably Immune." 

"I know." Thomas said, nodding. "Just better safe than sorry- like Minho said." 

Newt rested his head on Thomas' shoulder. He glanced at Victoria. "What does Alex think of her?" 

"Definitely interested," Thomas said with a little smile. "I just wish Victoria would wake up and see that already." 

"When she does, she's going to be thrilled." Newt said. There wasn't a trace of uncertainty in his voice. And something about that sureness gave Thomas a whole new surge of hope. She was going to wake up. 

And when she did, she'd be happier than she'd ever been. 


	25. Chapter Twenty-Three- Calm Before the Storm

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry lovelies!! 
> 
> The weather was messing with our internet! But I am here now, ready to update!! LET'S DO THIS. And by this, I mean have a tooth-rotting fluff chapter before everything goes to Hell... XD 
> 
> ***I do NOT own The Maze Runner series or any of the characters!***

The next week went on as usual.

It was almost like everything that had gone wrong over the past ten months had never happened. For whatever reason, Thomas awoke to Newt's alarm that day- he usually slept right through it. 

Thomas reached over and turned it off as Newt was stirring awake. Thomas looked at him and sighed. "You should just stay home today." 

Newt rubbed his eyes. "What are ya bloody talkin' about? I can't just leave Minho-" he paused, looking over Thomas' face. He frowned. "Are you alright, Tommy?" 

Thomas looked around their little house. He tried to think of the last time he and Newt just spent the day together; and he almost shivered when he realized how long it'd been.  _Made it to paradise, and still haven't been able to just spend my days with Newt._ Thomas thought, somewhat bitterly. That was all he had ever wanted. 

Thomas turned towards Newt and looked over him for a moment. "We should just stay home today. Do nothing. Go get cleaned up, get dressed, get some breakfast, and then just stay here in bed all night." 

"And Alex would be with us, I presume?" Newt asked, almost sounding amused by Thomas' suggestion. 

Thomas thought a moment; thinking about how Newt had said he wasn't necessarily ready for her all those months ago. Obviously he loved her, and he handled her well, but Thomas couldn't help but wonder if he was ready now- or a little part of him was always miserable, even if he didn't know about it. It dawned on Thomas that Thomas had somewhat forced this on him. Sure, who else would she have gone to? But they didn't even look. _Thomas_ didn't even look. 

And Newt, with all his perfection, took on this responsibility he never once asked for. 

"No," Thomas said. "We'll leave her with Jade for the day. Maybe even have her spend the night. She's ours, for now at least, but we can't forget about  _us._ " he said.  _Us._ Thomas thought,  _the very thing we fought so hard for._

Newt seemed a bit surprised. "Really?  _You_ want to spend a day without Alex? Just me?" 

Thomas nodded, internally cringing at how surprised Newt was about that- he really shouldn't be that shocked. Newt laughed a little, that spark Thomas loved flashing to life. "Sounds like a plan to me." 

Thomas grinned and kissed him. "Good. Now sleep in until Jade gets here." 

Newt definitely had no qualms with that one. Thomas wrapped his arms around him, watching him drift to sleep. 

 

Of course, Jade was thrilled. 

The moment they proposed Alex spending the night at her place, she was making Gally bring all the stuff she'd need to her house. Thomas and Newt barely got to give Alex a goodbye kiss before Jade was out the door. Sweet girl, but a little baby crazy. 

After bathing, eating, and avoiding everybody, they headed home. 

Minho complained, but Minho also complained about everything. And the punch to Thomas' shoulder suggested he didn't really mean it. 

"So," Newt said, sitting back on the bed. "What's the plan for today?" 

Thomas sat beside him. "Just whatever," he said. 

Newt nodded, turning to face him, tucking his legs under him. Thomas copied him, facing Newt. Newt reached out and absently grabbed Thomas' hand. Thomas watched their fingers, Thomas' were bigger- they had once been rougher, and they still were calloused, but Newt's were more labored now. Made sense- he actually did stuff. 

"Are you scared of Darius?" Thomas suddenly blurted; not sure why, or where it had come from. 

Newt looked a bit surprised as well, but he just adverted his gaze to he and Thomas' hands. "I don't know," he said thoughtfully. "I'm not scared of him when I'm dealin' with him." he said, sounding sure, then he just looked thoughtful again. "But... I think, when I don't have to be brave, I'm a lil' scared of him." 

Thomas nodded. "When are you scared of him?" he asked, not sure why he felt the need to pry into this. "Like, when in the day do you find yourself getting scared of him?" 

"Probably just at night," Newt said. "I don't have the bloody time to think about him otherwise. Yeah. After you've drifted off." 

For some reason, that made Thomas kind of sad. Thomas squeezed Newt's hand. "I know I keep telling you to be careful. But I'm not gonna let anything happen to you, you know that?" 

Newt smiled warmly. "Of course I do." 

Thomas smiled. "Do you think marriage is an outdated concept now?" 

Newt laughed. "Gee Tommy, twenty-questions?" he shook his head, then thought. "... Nah. Definitely not. Obviously it won't be nothin' compared to what it was, but I think it could still exist. I think marriage is more for the people involved when they're ready to take that step, rather than the ceremony and declarin' it to other people." 

Thomas smiled, scooting closer. "Do you think anyone in this place will ever get married?" he asked, almost sounding too eager. 

Newt laughed again, pinching Thomas' cheek teasingly. "Yes." he scooted closer; their knees pressed against each other. "I think so." he said, then kissed Thomas. 

Thomas kissed him back, and he thought he should ask. That he should pull away, get down on one knee and present a ring he didn't have, and ask him- but he didn't. 

And they spent a long, long time kissing, and he never once pulled away for anything other than to breathe. 

And he wasn't upset about that. 

He needed this. It must've been hours; Thomas' mind definitely wasn't working, Newt's lips intoxicating him. Any thought of proposing was just that, just a thought- because Thomas needed this- to stop like this; stop being a dad, stop having the baby, stop worrying about Victoria and Darius and whatever obstacles they were going to face, to stop trying to be a husband, to just  _stop._ Just for right now, just for today. He needed to appreciate what he had, right there in front of him- well, on him- before he took it any farther. 

_"I think marriage is more for the people involved when they're ready to take that step..."_

_Not yet, then._ Thomas thought, pulling away for a breath. Their lips brushed, and instead of speaking, they did something much stronger. They looked at each other. Thomas couldn't take his eyes off him; every feature just another work of art. His flushed cheeks, blond eyelashes, hazed eyes, his lips kissed red, the way those eyes darted and flickered about Thomas' face like a candle- never still, but subtle. 

This wasn't the moment to ask. Thomas knew that. It would be soon enough, maybe tomorrow, maybe the next day- maybe a week, a month, a year... Just not in that moment; that moment was theirs, and it didn't need to be interrupted just yet. 

Thomas pushed Newt's hair back, looking over his face. "I love you." he said, his heart wrenching with the sincerity. 

"I love ya, too." Newt said quietly.  

Thomas wanted to say more. He wanted to pour out his heart, explain every little ounce of love he had for Newt; he suddenly understood why poets did what they did. But he couldn't find the words. There was too much to say, in fact, that there couldn't be a word spoken. 

Thankfully, that was what these looks were for; intimate stares, light touches, ghostly breaths. Every little action, little flick of the eyes, slight tremble of the lips- it communicated, in some ancient language that people had hidden within them, the kind of love that was too great to be spoken. 

"I'm going to marry you," Thomas muttered; not daring speaking too loud, in fear of breaking the fragile moment. "Someday, I'm going to marry you. I love you so much." 

Newt smiled warmly; his eyes saying the words he didn't say. Instead, he leaned in and kissed Thomas again, knowing Thomas could read hear him without him ever needing to speak. 

Thomas rolled over, pinning Newt to the bed. The weight of the moment was still there, still making Thomas feel like his heart, his emotions, and every little thought was going to cause him to burst. Regardless, he pulled a grin. "We have the entire day, the entire  _night_ , to ourselves..."  

"No baby," Newt added, a hand sliding up Thomas' arm. "No Minho. No Jade. No Gally. No interruptions."

Thomas leaned in close, smiling against Newt's lips. "I'm glad we're on the same page," he murmured, his lips tingling as they brushed Newt's with each word. 

Newt giggled softly. "I always am." 

_No, actually, you're always one step ahead. You always know. Knew I loved you in the Maze before I did, knew that Brenda liked me, knew we would be alright, knew that we'd always come back to each other, knew nothing could keep us apart, you always knew. You always knew we'd end up here, right here. You know we're young, and you have known that. You've known that if the circumstances had been different, we wouldn't have been ready for Alex. You've known I want to marry you, and that I will, but not yet. You've always known, everything you've ever known, you've always known it before me. And God, what would I do without your patience? You've always known, and you've always waited for me to know, too._

All those words, all those truths, all those things Thomas could've said- he didn't. Because some things didn't need to be said. Somethings should stay with him; secret admiration. 

Though Thomas guessed Newt already knew that, too. 

 

Thomas' awoke with a start. 

He looked around; darkness. It was pitch-black outside, it must've been the middle of the night. Newt lay, curled up beside him. Messy hair, bare shoulders peeking out from under the covers. Thomas swallowed the fear and covered him up with the blanket; he looked a little cold. 

But Thomas still couldn't relax. He could've sworn he heard something, something must've woke him up. 

_Sift. Sift._

Thomas was sure he heard it that time, right outside his door. Dragging? Or dragging footsteps?... Fear gripped him, but regardless, he stood, searching the floor for his shirt. He at least had the good sense to put his pants back on before going to bed. 

Thomas had just pulled his shirt over his head when a loud thump hit the door, making him practically jump out of his skin. 

Newt shot up. He looked around frantically until his eyes landed on Thomas. "Tommy," he whispered. "What was that?" 

Thomas shrugged. He took a step toward the door, but didn't get far before the knob started turning. He steeled himself, preparing himself for whatever came through that door. 

Yet when it opened, there was no way he could've been ready for that. 

He took a step backwards, then one forwards, then halted, hand pressed against his chest. He sucked in a breath and shook his head, barely able to see straight. 

Thomas couldn't find the words. But Newt could, well, just one: 

"...  _Victoria_...?" 


	26. Chapter Twenty-Four- Victoria's Awake

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for no update yesterday!! I came home and passed out... 
> 
> And today, we ran all sorts of errands--one of them being that I got my laptop back from the repair shop!! :D Which means two things: 1.) I don't have to try and get my mom off the computer when I want to update, and 2.) I can update from my bed!!! XD Under the covers, right when I wake up, right when I'm going to bed; it doesn't matter <3 
> 
> So yes, this week has been crazy! But things should be good now; especially since I have a three-day weekend!! :D 
> 
> ***I do NOT own The Maze Runner series or any of the characters!***

The fear and shocked were swept away the moment Victoria crumpled to the floor.

Thomas darted to her, kneeling beside her. "Victoria?!" he said, helping her sit. 

She looked up at him, and she smiled. All the fear and worry washed away. She was in her right mind, and she was here, awake. It was so refreshing to see her awake after all this time; he had missed her so much. 

Victoria grabbed his hand, batting those tired eyes. "Hi Thomas," she said, her voice gravely and weak, but still hers. 

Thomas wrapped his arms around her. She was so thin, he worried he'd break her, but she even managed to wrap her arms back around him. Newt dropped to his knees beside them, wrapping his arms around her as well. Victoria let out a broken laugh, and Thomas pulled away. "Victoria... What are you doing up!? When-when did you wake up? Does Dr. Smith know?!" 

Victoria somehow looked even more tired at all of Thomas' questions. She shook her head. "He doesn't know, he wasn't there when I woke up. And I just woke up a couple minutes ago. I just... I wanted to see you," she said, so sweetly and sincerely, placing a hand on Thomas' face, then her eyes spotted the crib across the room. "And... And see if she..." 

"She's healthy," Newt said, smiling. "She's not here right now, she spent the night at the sitter's house. But she's healthy and beautiful and amazing..." 

Victoria nodded, such happiness on her face. She turned to Thomas. "How long have I been asleep?" 

Thomas and Newt exchanged somewhat nervous glances.  _She has no idea._ he thought. 

"A... Long time," Thomas said. 

Victoria frowned a little. "How long? Don't worry, I can take it. Just tell me." 

Thomas cleared his throat. "Um. A little over nine months..." he said, taking her hand. "But what matters is that you're awake now. And you can meet Alex, and-" 

A big, big smile formed on her face. "... Alex? You remembered the name I chose..." 

Thomas laughed a little. "Of course." 

Newt stood. "I'll go get her, but then you need to have Dr. Smith check up on ya." he said, rushing out. 

Victoria looked at Thomas. "Have you asked him yet? Did I miss it?" 

Thomas shook his head. "No way. There was no way I could ask without you," he said, smiling. "A lot of people thought you weren't going to wake up, Victoria... But I always knew you would." 

"You visited me, didn't you?" Victoria asked, a grin finding her face; she was looking better and better by the minute. 

Thomas laughed. "Yeah, how'd you know?" 

"I just... Didn't feel lonely," she shrugged, looking lost. "I don't know, I just know that when I woke up, I didn't feel like I had been alone the entire time." she smiled. "And who else would come in and constantly visit me while I slept for nine months?" 

Thomas grinned. 

Thomas helped her stand; she was having an easier time now. There was even color beginning to come back to her skin. Her legs were a little shaky, but she probably would've been able to stand and sit down on the bed all by herself, but Thomas wanted to help. Thomas sat beside her. They talked briefly about changes within the camp- though he made sure not to mention Darius and his men quite yet. She just woke up, she didn't need to hear that already. 

The door opened, and Newt walked in, grinning widely, holding Alex. 

Jade and Gally shuffled behind them; Jade's hair in a mess, she had been sleeping. But they both wore big smiles, watching anxiously. 

Victoria's eyes widened. She looked at Thomas, then Alex. Thomas had never seen anyone look so happy and shocked all at the same time. Newt laughed and walked over, handing Alex over. Alex was so sleepy, but she did wake up enough to lean against Victoria and grab onto her shirt. 

Victoria's eyes filled. She laughed as tears slipped down her face. She hugged her close. "She's so beautiful," she said, all choked up. "I love her so much." 

Thomas and Newt exchanged smiles. Newt sat on Thomas' leg, wrapping his arms around his shoulders as they watched Victoria cry and swoon over her baby. Alex looked so natural in her arms. 

A pang of something- maybe sadness, maybe dread, maybe anxiousness- whenever he thought of all the times he had stirred away and looked over to see Newt standing over Alex's crib, holding Alex as she fell asleep. Newt and Alex always looked so natural together; and Thomas had always thought of them as his. Because they were. And Thomas knew that Alex wouldn't be his forever, but it seemed so strange to think about it now. 

Victoria sniffled, looking so groggy. Jade smiled. "How about you let me take you to Dr. Smith's, Victoria? You can see her again tomorrow, but for now, you need some medical attention." 

Victoria nodded. "You're right," she said, kissing Alex's forehead, then handing her over to Thomas. She leaned forward and kissed Thomas' cheek, then Newt's. "Thank you, for taking care of my baby. I'll see you guys tomorrow." 

Thomas and Newt watched as Gally and Jade assisted her out. Thomas rose and gently laid Alex down on the bed, looking at her. So small, so precious. "It's gonna be weird," Thomas said. "To not have her around anymore." 

"Please," Newt said, sounding amused. "'Not around'? You're never going to go a day without letting yourself see her. I won't either." 

Thomas grinned; just like that, Newt managed to make him feel completely better again. Thomas crawled into bed; he wanted to stay awake and see what Dr. Smith said, but he knew Newt would make him lay down. So he just slid under the covers, Newt did the same on the other side of Alex. Thomas stretched over Alex, kissing Newt deeply. "I love you." 

"I love ya, too." Newt said with a smile; both of them settling down. 

Thomas wrapped his arm around Alex, having a hard time believing that night may be the last he ever had with her.  


	27. Chapter Twenty-Five- Victoria's Gift

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello lovlies??   
> So I'm a big YouTube person, anyone else? I watch (and love so dearly) Markiplier, Pewdiepie, Dan and Phil, Marzia, Good Mythical Morning, and my most favorite, Jacksepticeye! I just started watching him play Undertale (no spoilers!), I suggest playing it or watching someone play it, it's so good so far!!! :D Anyway! Let's move on!! 
> 
> ***I do NOT own The Maze Runner series or any of the characters!***

Thomas was surprisingly ready to get up and ready that morning.

After Alex was left in Jade's care, Newt and Thomas went off to bathe and eat breakfast; the usual morning routine. Sophie and Sierra sat with them at their table now. The whole talk in the cafeteria was Victoria, who Thomas had yet to see, but was dying to. 

"So she just... limped over to you guys?" Jorge asked through a mouthful of eggs, bouncing Joey on his leg. 

Thomas still couldn't believe Cynthia let him name him that. But he sure was adorable, the name almost suited him. Cynthia playfully nudged Jorge's arm. "Obviously. That's what they said!" she turned to Thomas and Newt, smiling as warmly as ever. "That poor woman, missing out on so much of her baby. I bet she's thrilled to get to have her now, at least! But what of you two?" 

Thomas cleared his throat. "Well, ya know. It'll take some getting used to, but I always  _did_ know Victoria was going to wake up. Alex is hers, after all." 

Newt nodded, looking somewhat solemn about it. But he quickly tried to cover it with a smile that was still genuine. It sounded confusing, but Thomas knew exactly how he felt. He was sad they'd be losing their little girl, but they were also glad Victoria would finally get to have her baby. It was an odd mix of emotions, but it was what it was. 

Minho lightly kicked Thomas' leg. "Come on you two, buck up. She's not gone." 

Newt nodded. "We know. It's just gonna be weird." 

Everyone just seemed to nod in agreement, even quiet Sophie. 

 

After breakfast, Newt went off with Minho, and Thomas headed straight for the Med-House. 

Walking in, it was so odd not to see Victoria lying in that bed. He had just gotten used to it over the months. It was relieving and sort of scary all at the same time; everything was changing, and it was changing now. 

Dr. Smith sat alone in the office. He noticed Thomas and got to his feet, a big grin on his face as he sighed. "Alright. You were right. Go on, say 'I told you so'." 

Thomas crossed his arms, a grin on his face. "I told you so." 

Dr. Smith laughed and pulled Thomas into a hug. "You're a good kid. More determination in you than any I've ever met. I may not have always agreed, but I'm so proud that you didn't lose hope on her." 

Thomas was a bit surprised, but he just nodded. "Thank you." 

Dr. Smith pulled away, and Thomas imagined that must've been what having a father was like. "So where is she?" he asked, looking around briefly. "Is she okay?" 

Dr. Smith nodded. "I sent her home. I figured she could rest for a bit, and then whenever she feels ready, she can take Alex. She seems alright, maybe tonight even." 

Thomas swallowed the lump in his throat.  _Tonight._ He nodded. "Thank you, I'll see you later- I'm going to go check up on her." 

Dr. Smith waved. 

Thomas walked to Victoria's house, his mind racing.  _Tonight. Alex could be gone tonight._ He shook his head, it was crazy to think about, but he knew this day was coming. He even had months to prepare for it, but he still felt completely caught off-guard by the whole thing. 

Thomas knocked, surprised when Victoria was on her feet, opening it for him. 

He let himself inside, just like he had when he helped her about the house when she was pregnant. It was nostalgic, he was glad to be back. 

Victoria grinned, crossing her arms. "You cleaned my house while I was in a coma..." 

Thomas laughed embarrassedly. "Yeah... I thought you might like to wake up and come home to a clean house..." 

Victoria laughed, sitting back on the bed. "What a sweetheart." she said, "so, there's two new girls here. What the heck happened?" 

Thomas sat beside her and shook his head. "Some people showed up on a boat." he looked at her and sighed. "And they're not good news. They asked for some of our girls... And boys... to replace those girls, who we demanded we take. Because... They're so young..." 

Victoria frowned. "That's awful. Where are they? Did you guys have to...?" 

"No, no, we escorted them to the other side of the island. And things should be good as long as they stay on their side." he said with a nod. 

Victoria nodded, trying to process what she'd just been told. "On another note..." she smiled. "I want to give you something." 

Thomas watched, curious, as she got to her feet. She looked so much better, she practically hopped to her feet. "So, before all this, when we were trying to get to the Flat Trans while everything was falling apart, I had a fiance." 

Thomas was struck dumbfounded. "What?... Wait, what!?" 

Victoria walked to her dresser, placing her hands on it and letting out a sigh. "Yep. I just never thought it was information to tell. I didn't want to think about it, so I just... didn't." She turned, finding her smile again. "But, I realized I could give you something. And it would still be meaningful. For you, and for me." 

Thomas watched as Victoria turned and opened the drawer. She scooped something into her hand, then returned to her spot beside Thomas on the bed. She smiled. "Open your hands, close your eyes." 

Thomas did as told. Victoria pressed something into his hand; it was cold like metal, and small. And broken? Or two separate pieces?  

"Okay, look!" 

Thomas opened his eyes and looked into his hand. His heart skipped a beat. Two rings sat in his palm. One was just a plain, silver ring; the other was practically identical, but smaller, and with a single, little diamond in the center. "Are these...?" 

Victoria smiled at them fondly. Her eyes went right through them; and the look in her eyes- Thomas had never seen her so happy. "Yes. I hid them away for a long time. And then I thought about it... And if they could stand for love again, if they could connect two people again... Then, well, that's all I want. I miss him, everyday. I loved him so much. The way Newt looks at you..." she giggled, "it always makes me laugh, because it's the way I looked at him. God, I really did love him. But he didn't make it. He was taken down by the falling pieces of the ceiling... But- if you used these, then they'd mean something. And he was always such a sucker for love. He'd be so happy to see you two using them, I know he would." 

Thomas was shocked. Speechless. He didn't know what to say, or how to even begin to thank her- he doubted he even could. 

Instead, he just wrapped his arms around her. "Thank you, this means... everything to me." 

She hugged him back and nodded. "I'm so glad..." 

Thomas pulled away, taking her hand. "I'm so sorry about him, I had no idea. What was his name?" 

Victoria just placed her other hand on top of Thomas'. She smiled warmly, but her eyes looked so sad. They stared right through their hands, and she just shook her head. "I can't tell you. That's for me." she said, nodding. "Just for me..." 

And somehow, Thomas understood. 

A grin found her face suddenly, and she slapped Thomas' arm. "Now you have no excuse not to ask. At all. So do it. Soon." 

Thomas laughed, feeling his cheeks burn. "Yeah..." 

Victoria nodded. "Maybe tomorrow. Maybe tonight." 

Thomas cleared his throat. "Speaking of tonight... Where do you want Alex's crib? I can bring her by tonight." 

Victoria smiled. "Right there will work," she said with a nod, then grabbed Thomas' face. She left a kiss on his forehead, tears in her eyes. "Thank you," she whispered, "for taking care of her. I'm so grateful." 

Thomas just smiled and let his head weigh in her hands. He wanted to be sad, but that smile on Victoria's face... 

He knew then that this was what was right. For her, for Alex, and for Newt and Thomas. 

 

Moving her over wasn't very difficult, obviously. 

Thomas carried the crib over, Gally and Newt got all her clothes and diapers and all the other supplies, while Jade carried Alex. Even Jade was sad; she knew that Thomas and Newt would be babysitters, when and if Victoria even needed one. 

Victoria really was madly in love with that little girl already, holding her close the moment Jade handed her over. And Alex seemed to just naturally like her as well, holding onto her and smiling. 

Newt leaned against the wall, arms crossed, smiling at them. Thomas wasn't sad. And he could see that Newt wasn't either; seeing them together made the whole situation make sense. 

Minho walked up and stood in the doorway. "Awe, how cute." he said to Victoria and Alex, then turned and whispered something to Newt. Newt just smiled and nodded. 

After everything was set up, and Victoria needed everything she needed to know, they decided to give her some time with her kid. Thomas left kisses on Alex's face before leaving. 

Thomas and Newt fell behind Minho, Gally, and Jade. Newt took Thomas' hand. "They're supposed to be together." 

"They are," Thomas said. "We'll get ours someday, I'm sure." Thomas said with a grin. 

Newt laughed and nodded, leaning his head on Thomas' shoulder. Looking over him, the soft colors of sunset glowing against his skin, made Thomas suddenly confident; tomorrow. He was going to ask him tomorrow, that was the plan. It felt right. 

Thomas let his hand gingerly touch the rings in his pocket. They had been worn by two lovers who lost what they had. It made Thomas' heart constrict, but he knew that it was all the more reason to continue that love. And made him even more grateful he had Newt here with him. 

"What're ya thinkin' about in that big brain of yours, Tommy?" Newt asked, with that familiar spark in his eyes. 

Thomas grinned down at him. The thought of asking him sent a wave over him, like something  _big_ was about to happen. Like a monumental shift was going to take place. "Just you." 

Newt threw his head back laughing. "Then take me home," he said slyly, "cause I'd much rather be there." 

Thomas laughed and swept him off his feet, holding him. "As you wish," he said, rushing that way. 

Newt laughed, wrapping his arms around Thomas as if he was worried about falling. "I won't let you fall," Thomas assured. 

Newt grinned at him dangerously. "I know." 

Thomas took a moment to appreciate him, but quickly focused on getting home. If he took time to appreciate him, he might never stop. 


	28. Chapter Twenty-Six- The Question

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Super short chapter! I am hoping to do more later, but I gotta cram for some finals for real XD 
> 
> But regardless, I hope you enjoy :) 
> 
> ***I do NOT own The Maze Runner series or any of the characters!***

It was odd, to wake up that morning and not have Alex sleeping between them.

It was odd, but it had also been awhile since Thomas had been able to hold Newt all night. He hadn't realized how much he'd missed it until now. On another note, he even managed to talk Newt into taking the day off, seeing as there wasn't much going on. 

After the usual morning routine of bathing, and breakfast, they headed back home. 

The whole reason Thomas had Newt stay back was because he was going to ask him. How? He had no idea. Where? Still, nothing. When? You guessed it- nothing. All he knew was it was going to be  _sometime_ that day. Thomas absently ran his fingers up and down Newt's arm. "Wanna go for a walk?"

 Newt nodded thoughtfully. "Sure, though you're the one who requested this day off- I think you should be callin' the shots." 

Thomas grinned. "Alright, a walk it is then." 

A walk turned into visiting Alex and Victoria, Jorge, Cynthia, and Joey, Dr. Smith, Minho, and Jade and Gally. Maybe Thomas was just stalling. Eventually, they ran out of people to visit. So he had no choice but to get along with it. 

He took Newt's hand. "Let's go to the cliff," he blurted, forming an explanation afterwards. "I think it'd be a nice, romantic spot to spend the afternoon, huh?" 

Newt laughed a little and nodded. "Okay... Everything alright with ya, Tommy? Ya seem a little on-edge..."

"I'm fine," Thomas said with a smile.  _Of course he's catching onto something already. Why did I expect anything else?_

Together, they walked to the cliff. There was no one there, though there usually wasn't. Thomas was glad nonetheless. Thomas sat on the edge, dangling his legs over the edge. He looked out over the ocean and the shore; Darius' boat was still there. Ugly, and a reminder that there was a disgusting, merciless man on the island with them. Even now, Minho still had people scavenging on the giant ship, seeing if there was anything worth recovering. Not much luck so far, besides some old weapons. 

Newt sat beside him, tucking his legs under him, sitting criss-cross. He took in a deep breath of the salty air, exhaling with a content hum to it. The gentle breeze from the ocean tussled his hair slightly. "It's nice here, why don't we come here more often?" 

"I honestly don't know," Thomas admitted. It hurt a bit, when he thought about it- in the Maze, they had the woods by the Deadheads, and they went there all the time- any time things got crazy or heated, and just spent some time in silence together, thinking things through. Why didn't they have that now? Perhaps it was the lack of problems, or the fact they had a house now, or because they had Alex for awhile- regardless, Thomas wanted to come back to this spot more often. 

Thomas glanced over at Newt, sneaking it in like he did when he first met him. When he just wanted to stare, but wouldn't dare get caught. 

Newt was as beautiful as ever. Even more so than the first day they met. Back then, he was the only one who made sense.  _No,_ Thomas thought, amused with himself.  _He made the least sense. But he was the only one who drew me in because of that._

Thomas wondered if that was love at first sight, or just some force beyond their own understanding that urged them to each other. It must've been written somewhere ancient that he and Newt were destined to meet, and to be together. The Chancellor said she had never anticipated them to fall in love with each other, so they couldn't have been in love before, could they? Maybe Thomas felt something for him back then that was too strong to be erased with Thomas' memories. 

It was hard to tell, and he'd never know. But maybe he was okay with that; maybe he didn't need to know. 

Newt glanced over, catching Thomas' stares. He cracked a little smile. "Can I help ya with somethin'?" 

Thomas just shook his head, grinning. "Just admiring." 

Newt rolled his eyes, though Thomas could see the pink on his cheeks. "Ya know, most people do that when the other one has fallen asleep, or is busy, or somethin' like that." 

Thomas smirked. "Do you speak from experience?" 

Newt blushed and looked back towards the sea. "... Shut up, Tommy." 

Thomas laughed and scooted closer to him, placing a hand on his leg. "You know I love you, right?" 

"Of course I do. Just like you know that I love you," he replied, resting his head on Thomas' shoulder. 

Thomas smiled. It felt right, to just sit with him like this. Thinking about the first time he met him just made him snicker to himself. He had no idea when he first saw him, that they'd end up like this. "Did you ever see this coming?" Thomas asked. 

"What? Like, everything?  _All_ this?" Newt asked. 

Thomas nodded. "Yeah, where we are now. That we'd end up together." 

Newt shook his head, laughing. "Nah. When you came out of the Box, I knew you were different, but I didn't know you would turn out to be  _that_ different. Or that you'd mean somethin' to me. Well, everything, actually." 

Thomas smiled. Suddenly, he felt relaxed. 

"Hey, Newt?" 

"Yeah?" 

Thomas fished the smaller ring out of his pocket. Newt didn't even notice, staring out over the ocean, his head still on Thomas' chest. Thomas reached over and took his hand. "I know it's a bit outdated, and there isn't much tradition left or anything, but." he opened his hand, showing the ring in his palm. "Would you marry me?" 

Newt sat up straight, his expression unreadable. "Where did you...?" 

"Victoria gave them to me," Thomas said, suddenly nervous. 

Newt laughed a little. He smiled so warmly and genuinely, Thomas was sure his heart would stop right there. "Obviously, my answer is yes," he said, sounding a bit choked up, hugging Thomas suddenly, and tightly. "Obviously." 

Thomas was relieved. He hadn't expected him to say no, obviously. But. He didn't know. After the nervousness was gone, he was just overcome with a rush of indescribable happiness. He stood up, bringing Newt with him, holding him closely. "I love you!" he yelled, suddenly very excited. 

Newt laughed, clinging to him. "I love ya, too Tommy!" 

Thomas began carrying back to the house. 

They ignored the looks from people as they walked by, and ignored those who asked, and just focused on getting home. Someone could've ran in front of them and yelled at them, and he still would've ignored them. He was so happy he wasn't thinking straight; maybe they'd never have a ceremony, and it's not like they could give each other their last names, but still. 

Newt was his  _husband._


	29. Author's Note

UGH!! 

Sorry guys, school messes up my writing schedule like crazy; especially since I always get home late. I had started to write this chapter, trying to squeeze in a quick update, but then my computer froze and I lost everything I had wrote -_- So, now I don't have time, of course. 

And tomorrow, I'm not getting home until even later tonight; so unless it gets canceled, I probably won't be able to update tomorrow either. Though Thursday and Friday I have nothing going on after school, so expect an update then. 

I'm sorry that the updates are getting less constant; but it's the end of the semester and things are even crazier than usual! Just be patient with me, lovlies!


	30. Chapter Twenty-Seven- Let's See Them Try It

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello lovlies! 
> 
> Got home dreadfully late, but here's a quick update anyway!! Enjoy!! (Sorry, I know, it's short and crappy... Time is killing me right now!)
> 
> ***I do NOT own The Maze Runner series or any of the characters!***

Thomas awoke, alone.

He looked over at the space where he would usually see Alex and Newt. It was odd not to have them there. He rolled over, looking at his ring on the dresser. Newt's was gone, which meant he was out and about already. Thomas smiled. _My husband._

Thomas rolled out of bed, collecting his shampoo and soap and clothes, which Newt had left out for him. It was a calm morning, seemed like the first one in awhile.

After bathing and getting breakfast, Thomas headed towards Victoria's. He couldn't help but notice that Newt and Minho weren't around. Thomas looked around briefly, but rushed to Victoria's- they must've been around somewhere. He shouldn't worry.

Victoria opened the door before he even finished walking up to it; smiling. “Come in, come in,” she urged, then suddenly stopped him- the expression on her face growing serious. “Wait... Is that... A ring on your finger!?” her face lit up and she yanked him inside. “You asked! It's official! Finally!! Ah—we'll have to have a ceremony. I'll organize it, naturally.”

Thomas was struck a bit dumbfounded, trying to process everything at once. “Woah, woah, who said anything about a ceremony?”

“Who didn't?” she countered, grinning. “Come on, a wedding isn't something we should leave to the old days!”

Thomas considered. She was right. There were some things they should save, especially since their community was growing constantly. Weddings should be something they kept.

“I'll mention it in a Gathering,” he said with a grin, nudging her. “And if it's ruled in favor, you can organize it.”

She smiled and nudged him back. “Oh, Alex is in the other room, playing with her “toys”.”

Thomas walked in the other room, grinning when he saw her sitting amongst empty formula cans, her empty bottle, her blanket, and some pillows. When she saw Thomas, she let out a squeal of excitement, attempting to get up, but tumbling back down.

Thomas scooped her up, laughing. “Hey, baby girl,” he said, hugging her close. It felt so nice to hold her; he hadn't realized how much he'd missed her already.

Victoria walked in, leaning in the doorway. “Oh hey, what's going on? Newt and Minho were all over the place this morning.”

Thomas frowned, setting Alex down. “What? I don't know, I haven't seen him yet today. Something's wrong?”

Victoria shrugged, stepping out of his way as he rushed out. “Well, I don't know, I could be reading too much into it- but they just seemed a bit frazzled, that's all.”

“I should go find them, and see what's going on,” Thomas said, basically already out the door.

He heard Victoria bid him a farewell, but he was already half-walking, half-jogging. He looked around at everyone's faces; they all turned to look at him as he ran by- some more curious, some more solemn.

 _Something's happened,_ he thought, his heart racing.

He checked all over, in every building. It took him a little over two hours, but in the last place he looked- Brenda's house- he found them.

“What's going on?” he huffed, a weight vanishing when he saw Newt there, just fine.

Newt frowned. “Found somethin'... interesting today.”

Brenda scoffed. “Interesting, you say? More like disgusting. Wasteful. Provactivie. Should I go on?”

“No,” Newt replied sharply. “I know it's bad, Brenda- chill out.”

Minho nodded. “Just cause one of your Hunter's found it doesn't mean you get to have a melt down about it and act like we don't care.”

Brenda just crossed her arms, sinking into her chair. Thomas frowned. “What happened?...”

Minho jumped off the table where he'd been sitting. “Come with me, I'll show ya. Newt, call a Gathering for later tonight. 8 o'clock.”

Newt nodded, rushing off. Minho and Thomas headed out towards the wooded area behind the town- in the direction of Darius and his men.

“What'd they do?” Thomas scowled.

“Something gross,” Minho replied. “But what's more of concern, is that they were close enough to _do_ it. They're supposed to be six hours away from us, not twenty minutes.”

And Minho was right, it only took them about twenty minutes until they came upon the scene.

Decapitated deer, rabbits, even an _elk._ All lined up- well, just the heads. The bodies were nowhere to be found. All the eyes were gauged out; the image surprisingly haunting.

“What in the Hell...?”

“Yeah, one of Brenda's hunters found this little display for us this morning.” Minho shook his head. “Don't know what it means, but those shanks are playing at something. Why are they this close? And what the heck is this supposed to mean, anyways?”

Thomas shook his head, partly in disbelief, and partly just confused. “Should we... send out a search party for them?”

Minho raised a hand. “Don't go firing ideas out of your pretty, little head- we're holding a Gathering for that later.”

Thomas just nodded. Even when Minho walked away, Thomas stood, staring.

Something flicked on inside him. A protectiveness, a competitiveness. He'd felt it before, those years ago. It was back, a fire, a _fight._

 _They want to take what we have- what I have._ Thomas looked around, swearing he could feel Darius' eyes on him now. He glared.

_Just let them try it._

 


	31. Chapter Twenty-Eight- Crazy, Crazy Things

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry lovlies, like I said, the end of the semester is really killing me. And I got sick. Again. I am always sick, it's kind of ridiculous... Anyways! Let's get on with it! (: 
> 
> ***I do NOT own The Maze Runner series or any of the characters!***

“Everyone, shut up.” Minho said, shushing the side conversations.

Thomas and Newt were a guilty pair; they had been talking between themselves since they got there. But at Minho's word, they silenced.

“Gathering's in order,” Minho said.

Thomas' eyes looked to Newt as Minho explained the situation to the other Keepers. Newt looked back at him, concern on his face. An edge in his eyes; something mixed with fear, anticipation, grit- the same as back then. Back when they were fighting for their lives. Oddly enough, Thomas' heart constricted at the thought of it, the thought of their love. It was weird to think of that at all times, but he couldn't shake it. That look reminded him of all the fighting they did just to have what they have now.

Looking at Newt, so beautiful, so frightened, so ready- it solidified two things in Thomas: His concerns that this was the beginning of something big, and his resolve to fight off whatever that something was.

“So,” Minho continued, once he had explained the grim situation. “There's a lot of worries. Firstly, that they were close enough to do that. Secondly, they're wasting precious resources, and third, the reason for that little display. We're gonna go around and suggest ideas, then vote at the end. We need to figure this out. We'll start with Tommy,” Minho said, nodding to him.

Thomas just nodded slightly. “I'm thinking we should send out a search party. We need to find them, and use whatever force necessary to bring them back to talk with us. If they want to fight, we need to be ready to fight back.”

Newt scribbled down his suggestion as he spoke, nodding slightly to himself. He put a tally next to it before Minho had even called on him. “I agree with Tommy,” he said simply.

Minho nodded.

And most everyone did. Except Dave, who worriedly suggested they should just send them back to their boat, give them some food, and send them away for good. No one else voted on it. Thomas felt bad to admit it, but the peaceful route wouldn't be the way to go this time. Not when they were dangerous, and knew where their island was.

Minho nodded, seeming relived that the Gathering went rather smoothly. Thomas was, too. They usually went fairly well here, but Thomas always got anxious about them, thinking about his first one back in the Glade.

“Alright, that settles it. We'll assemble some of your Hunters,” Minho said, nodding at Brenda, “and Newt and I should probably go. We'll leave tonight.”

“I want to go, too.” Thomas said quickly.

Minho and Newt exchanged glances. “Well,” Minho said. “You're good at talking. And you're definitely a good leader, so you can come. But...”

Newt nudged him. “You're gonna have to be one of the Leaders. We can't keep bringing you along in all these things without having you be a part of it.”

Thomas glanced away briefly, thinking it over. When he had come here, he had been so adamant on not having any responsibility ever again. But if he wanted to stand beside Newt in this, he needed to. They were already bending enough rules letting Thomas be a part of the council during Gatherings, anyway. He supposed it was time he start doing something.

“Okay,” he said. Newt looked concerned, almost guilty. Thomas smiled. “I want to.”

Newt returned it and nodded. Minho nodded. “Good, finally. Alright, that's settled. We're leaving tonight.”

“Shouldn't we wait until light?” Brenda asked.

“No,” Minho said. “We can't wait. Not gonna risk having another pretty display for us tomorrow. This gets settled tonight.”

Brenda nodded, and he could see that she knew Minho was right.

“Alright, Gathering's over.”

 

The day seemed to fly by.

Thomas was ready, though. He wanted to get this settled and over with; his family was potentially at stake because of these people. He hated them for taking away their feeling of security. He hated them for ruining what they had. Thomas would do what he could to fix that.

He and Newt sat around most of the day, but were eager to get going the moment it was time.

They had seven Hunters, including Brenda.

Brenda smiled at him. “Should we go get you a pistol?” she teased.

Thomas rolled his eyes; thinking of the day he tried to shoot the shotguns they all used. It knocked him right on his ass, and bruised his shoulder. They had pistols, but very few, so they were usually kept with the other supplies, since there hadn't been much need for a close-range weapon in awhile.

“Um, no...” he said, unsure.

“Well too bad,” Minho butt in, handing one to Newt and Thomas. “Keep those with you from now on,” he said, sliding his own into the waist of his jeans, using his shirt to hide it.

Thomas nodded. “Newt doesn't need it,” he said jokingly, “he apparently carries a freaking knife in his boot.”

“You didn't know that?” Minho asked.

Thomas looked between them blankly. “... I don't want to talk about it.”

Newt laughed, pinching Thomas' cheek. “You're adorable.”

Thomas grinned a little, watching him as he hid his gun the same way as Minho. Thomas did so as well. “Alright,” Minho said, “let's get going. Got all the stuff?”

Two of the Hunters nodded, backpacks on their backs. Supplies, for if they had to spend the night out there, Thomas assumed.

“Then let's go.” Minho said, starting off.

Thomas spared a glance; he wanted to go and handle this, but it also made him nervous to leave everyone behind. Instead of dwelling on it, he just turned and followed the others. He'd be back soon enough.

 

Thomas had spent much time just wandering around the woods.

But doing it now sure did remind him how extraordinary this place was. Pink petals of Cherry Blossom trees floated on the breeze, the smell of Pine Trees accompanying them. Just a few feet away, apples hung from their trees- other trees had lines of syrup dried to their trunks. It was such an interesting mix, it reminded Thomas that this place was definitely influenced by man. It was oddly beautiful.

Even as darkness took the sky, they kept walking. The Hunters were actually being useful, following tracks and all that, while Newt, Minho, and Thomas were just hanging back, following, and ultimately doing nothing.

Then one of the Hunters stopped in their tracks. “Do you guys see that?”

Everyone stopped, following where he was pointing. Not far off, obstructed by trees but definitely there, was a light.

“ _A fire,_ ” Thomas said as it clicked.

“Looks like we found 'em.” Minho said, obviously annoyed by their closeness. They were only an hour- if that- from the others.

And so they began that way. Thomas reached over, grabbing Newt's hand. Anytime they were in even a little bit of trouble, he grabbed Newt's hand. An old habit.

And Newt just smiled slightly and moved a bit closer to him as they walked.

When they reached the fire, there were only four men surrounding it. None of them were Darius. An odd disappointment crept over Thomas; _There goes my chance to kill him._

Thomas was a bit shocked at the morbidity of his thoughts, but he couldn't deny its truth.

One of the men grinned. “There they are, didn't I tell ya? I knew they'd come. They're no pansies.”

The other man just seemed to brush it off, as if they all made the same predicition. Minho crossed his arms. “What do you shanks think you're doing here?”

“Just having a nice fire,” one of the other men replied, smiling into the bright heat. He flicked his eyes over to Minho. “Problem?”

“Yes, problem, you're supposed to be five hours away from here.” Minho snapped.

“Oh that,” the same man replied boredly. “Yeah, Darius said we should explore the area. So we did. And he said if we felt like stirring you guys up a bit, we could.” he grinned, something dark and cold. “And we did.”

A sense of danger crept over Thomas.   
“He also said you'd come to handle it,” another man continued. He laughed. “And here you are.”

The first man that spoke got to his feet, reaching into his back pocket. “And he said we could do what we wished when you did. Just to startle y'all. Or, at least those who will be left.” he said, pulling out a gun out from his pocket.

The Hunters raised theirs in almost perfect unison; the man hadn't even finished raising his. Brenda glared, glancing at Minho. “Should I send some back to tell the others to prep for prisoners.”

Minho chewed over. He looked like he wanted to say no, to kill them now. But his better side won over and he nodded. Brenda, and three other Hunters turned to leave. Minho was worried about them being ambushed; he almost seemed like he wanted the group to send more.

The three Hunters that were left kept their weapons raised.

A stillness hit the scene. The man still stood, gun still stuck in the same spot, glancing about the Hunters. The other three men stayed sitting, two of them watching the Hunters- or more specifically, their weapons- and one just stared into the fire.

Minho crossed his arms, leaning in towards them, talking low. “What the heck are we going to do with these idiots back home? We never finished building the jail. Didn't think we'd need it...”

“We'll just have to finish it fast,” Thomas replied with a shrug.

“But then what are we gonna do with 'em?” Newt asked, “we can't just keep 'em forever.”

Minho shook his head. “We'll hold another Gathering. Figure this all out then, we just need to focus on getting them back first-”

The man who had been staring into the fire suddenly stood up. His eyes didn't leave it. “I'm so bored.” he muttered.

Thomas shook his head; he knew that look.

“He's infected.”

“Bingo,” the man said, pointing at Thomas, still not taking his eyes off the fire. “And people who are infected do crazy, crazy things.”

He finally moved his eyes away from the fire, and as he did, a gunshot filled the air. One of the Hunter's heads snapped back, and they crumpled to the ground, lifeless.

The man smiled, twirling a gun in his hand- Thomas hadn't even seen him pull it out.

“Crazy, crazy things...” 

 


	32. Another Horrible Author's Note

Hello darlings, I am here to let you in on my situation!! 

As you all may know, I am currently in the last week of the semester. And I've finally reached the ACTUAL, LEGIT finals week. So I figure I'll take you out of the dark and let ya know how this week and weekend is gonna look: 

Today, no update- I need to cram for my English final, and my Psych final. (So sorry!). Tomorrow, no update. I have youth group, then am doing community service for my senior project and won't be back until like ten (all Wednesdays are like this, though, so no surprise there.) Thursday, I SHOULD be able to update. So I am just going to say I WILL be updating on that day. On Friday and Saturday- I WILL NOT BE UPDATING. I have winter camp after school Friday, and on that weekend! But I come back in the afternoon (I think) on Sunday, so expect an update :) 

After that, it will go back to the normal schedule; Updates on Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday. Then two updates on Saturdays and Sundays :) 

So sorry for this whole inconvenience my lovlies, but please bear with me! I haven't forgotten about you guys; you're always on my mind, and I am SO eager to get back to writing!! 

P.S., I am so sorry for leaving you guys on such a cliff hanger... XD I am the worst, but I love you so much!!!


	33. Authors Note!

Good news, everyone! Updates tomorrow :) I apologize for the wait, but it's almost over my lovelies!!


	34. Chapter Twenty-Nine- Pain

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Alright guys, here it is! 
> 
> Of course, tomorrow is Wednesday- which is the day I don't update on, even when I'm on schedule XD But at least I'm back now, haha!
> 
> Please do enjoy, and just know that I missed you all dearly!!! 
> 
> ***I do NOT own the Maze Runner series or any of the characters!***

Thomas stared, dumbfounded for a moment.

It had happened so fast. Thomas hadn't even seen him pull out a gun. But there he was, that infected man, standing there with a gun in his hand- steam whisping off the barrel, pronouncing it's kill proudly. 

Thomas' eyes moved to the Hunter. He hadn't known him, he had only seen him around. Now his eyes stared up at the sky, dead and frozen in a permanent look of shock. 

And then things were moving, happening. Gunshots everywhere. The Hunters started firing, and so did the men. It was impossible to keep track of the bullets; and Thomas didn't even try to keep track of the bodies. He didn't want to know. 

Instead, he shoved Minho to the ground to keep him away from any bullets, then grabbed Newt and shoved him behind a nearby tree. Now that he wasn't in direct danger, he could think things through a bit better. Carefully, he looked over past Newt and the tree. Everyone had taken cover at this point. One of the men lay dead, but the other three peered from behind trees and bushes. Minho was crouched beside the Hunters behind some bushes now, whispering orders at them. 

It had gotten so eerily quiet all at once. Thomas looked at Newt, his back against the tree, eyes wide. "What's happening?" he whispered, barely even speaking. 

“I don't know.” Thomas replied, shaking his head.

Minho caught Thomas' eyes. He put one hand out, signaling for him to stay there. It wasn't luck Thomas planned on moving unless he had to, anyways. He had Newt he had to watch out for.

The brief firefight when on for a moment, and then nothing. Silence.

Thomas scanned the men's area, but they had seemed to flee. Slowly, Thomas stepped out from behind the tree, keeping one hand on Newt's chest, keeping him there. Once it seemed the danger was gone, he let him out.

Everyone made their way to Minho. One of the Hunters was crying, looking completely panicked. The other just looked like a live-wire, his eyes darting all over the place. “What in bloody Hell are we goin' to do now!?”

Minho shook his head, his eyes landing on the corpse of their Hunter. “I don't know.”

“I'll tell ya what we're gonna do,” the on-edge Hunter said, “we're going to go after them. Kill them. We had wanted to take them into custody. Pfft, seems to me that's not happening now. They're dangerous. They need to be killed.”

Minho didn't seem to like what he was hearing, but thankfully, he was smarter than that. “You're right. But not now.”

“He's right,” Newt said with a nod. “We need to get back, get some more firepower, and then come back. We can't be goin' out with just a couple guns now.”

The Hunter bit his tongue, but nodded.

Minho nodded. “Come on, we need to carry him back. Let's go.”

The Hunters were there before Thomas could even move. Newt and Thomas stood back, not sure what to do. “I just can't believe this...” Newt muttered. “I knew they were slimy. I knew we'd have to watch out for them, but... Well, I didn't think they had the actual guts to kill anyone...”

Thomas nodded, watching the Hunters heave up the corpse of their dead friend. Something broke in Thomas' heart, seeing the dead Hunter's face. His cold, dead eyes open wide- his terror forever captured onto his face, burning into the back of Thomas' mind. Yet another dead expression to add to the collection forming in the back of his mind.

Something snapped off to Thomas' right, but he wasn't fast enough. Another gunshot rang out. Thomas expected to see one of the Hunters drop, to see the corpse they were holding fall from their hands.

But instead, Minho clutched his side and crumpled to the ground.

Thomas barely even got to look around before another shot rang out. Thomas dropped to his knees from the shock of the sound, it seemed. He looked to Newt, relieved to see him okay. But the look on his face...

Then the pain started; deep and wild, roosted in his stomach.

Thomas placed a hand on his stomach. It felt like someone was pressing cotton balls in his ears. His vision began to blur. _I got... Shot?..._

He looked up, blinking away the darkness. Newt was there; Thomas expected to see him panicked, shouting to Thomas.

He wasn't even facing him, he was standing with the Hunters, shooting.

Thomas felt himself fall flat on the ground. The pain was gone; the numbness blossoming over his stomach. It was a relief at this point, ebbing away the God-awful pain. His mind was going blank, but he could still see the image of Newt standing there, shooting. All he wanted was to shout out, to tell him to run away, but the darkness suffocated him- and his world fell away from under him.

 

The light was so intense.

It burned, and it left him without a thought in his mind. Thomas blinked against it; and the sheer brilliance of it had him convinced for a moment that he was dead. He was half-convinced he'd see Chuck standing over him, that stupid grin on his face.

But his eyes adjusted slowly.

It was just sunlight, bleeding in through the window. Not his window. The Med-House. When did he get there? How?   

He tried to sit up, but the stabbing pain in his stomach convinced him otherwise.

Straining, he looked around. Minho was in the bed next to him, still unconscious. Thomas let his head loll to the other side. Newt was there; his head on the bed, asleep.

Thomas reached his hand out and rested it on Newt's head softly. He was completely fine.

Newt stirred under his touch, his eyes slowly opening. He looked up at Thomas, and the sleep shot right out of him. “Tommy!” he yelled, “you're awake!” he grabbed Thomas' hand, a wide smile on his face. “I was worried sick about ya. Don't ever scare me like that again.”

Thomas laughed weakly, his voice like gravel. “I think we're even now.”

Newt grinned. “Alright, that's fair.”

Dr. Smith wandered in, smiling when he saw Thomas. “Well, well. He's up. How are you feeling?”

“Like I got shot in the stomach,” Thomas replied. “How's Minho?”

“Probably feeling like he got shot in the ribs,” Dr. Smith replied, walking over and pulling the blankets down. He checked over Thomas' bandages briefly, then nodded, seeming content. “You're gonna be just fine. But you're gonna have to rest for awhile.”

Newt nodded. “Victoria and Alex came by.” he said, absently running his fingers through Thomas' hair. It felt so good, Thomas almost fell right back to sleep just then. “The entire village is worried sick about you and Minho. And now they're all scared...”

Thomas frowned. “Well of course they're scared. Another one of us just died...”

Newt nodded solemnly. “I don't know what we're gonna do about them.”

“What the Hunters said,” Thomas said, “we're gonna hunt those people down. And shoot down any other of Darius' people we see.”

“We already hunted them down.” Newt said. “And had a burial. You've been out for two bloody days.”

Thomas frowned. “Yikes... Has Minho woken up at all?”

Newt nodded. “On and off. Doc wants you two resting. Minho's got one more day, you've got more. He's just got a bruised rib and had the Doc had to do some nasty diggin' around to get the bullet out of him. Yours went clean through, and tore at a couple important things. You're lucky, it missed the real important stuff. You were just a couple centimeters from dyin', ya know that...”

Thomas grimaced a bit when it was put like that.

“Well. I didn't die, so that's good, right?” Thomas offered, knowing what it felt like to be in this situation. Seeing the other in pain was torture enough.   
Newt smiled, leaning forward and placing a kiss on his lips. “You bet it is. And you're gonna keep it that way, understood?”

Thomas returned the smile, sleep already weighing him down again.

Newt noticed him looking tired before Thomas could hide it. “Get back to sleep, Tommy. I've got to check in one everyone, anyway.”

Thomas sighed. He had hoped to spend more time with Newt. But he nodded, watching Newt go before he let himself fall back to sleep, thankful for the painless rest.

 


	35. Chapter Thirty- Waking Up

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> HELLO!! 
> 
> I am so very sorry! The weather in Washington is crazy right now. We got a foot of now, and it's STILL SNOWING. So I got stranded at one of my friend's houses for two whole days... Don't get me wrong, I love her, but I am so glad to be home. I missed my dog, and my laptop... XD But here I am! And I've got nothing going on tomorrow except some homework, so things might actually start getting back to normal finally XD But hey, let's get started! :D 
> 
> ***I do NOT own the Maze Runner series or any of the characters!***

The next couple days were somewhat of a blur.

Thomas frequently fell in and out of consciousness. He woke up often to Dr. Smith feeding him, and giving him water. He woke up a couple times when Dr. Smith was busying himself with Thomas' wound. He was stable every time he woke up, but after all that time, they lost their clarity.

Thomas awoke one day, completely alone.

Painfully, he forced himself onto his elbows. His stomach screamed in protest, but nothing more than a deep ache. He supposed that was a good sign.

Looking around, he saw Minho was absent from the bed beside him. Dragging his head to the other side, he noticed Newt wasn't sitting at his bedside either.

Still somewhat dazed, he had a shock of fear physically wake him up. _What if something happened to them? To everyone?_

In a sudden state of panic, he forced himself to his feet. A sharp pain threatened to take him back down, but he remained firm, the panic keeping him moving.

He had almost reached the door when Dr. Smith emerged from the doorway, scaring Thomas out of his wits. If he hadn't been in pain, he might've taken a swing at him- by pure reflex. Luckily, he was a bit impaired at the moment.

“Thomas! You're up!” he said in disbelief. “You really shouldn't be, come on, come sit down,” he said, urging Thomas back to his bed.

Thomas nodded slightly, following. “Is everyone okay?”

“What? Of course they are. Did you have a nightmare, son?” Dr. Smith asked caringly, assisting Thomas in sitting down.

Thomas let out a breath of relief. “No, just paranoid. How long have I been out?”

“About six days,” Dr. Smith said, sounding so nonchalant about it.

Thomas had to admit it, he was pretty shocked about that one. “ _What? Six days?_ You've got to be kidding.”

“Nope,” Dr. Smith said. “It's actually not that long considering your state.”

Thomas shook his head in disbelief. “Wow... Well. How is Minho feeling?”

“Oh, he's fine.” Dr. Smith said dismissively. “He's been up and around for days. Everyone's fine. Well... Except for that Hunter who was killed. What is wrong with those people?”

Thomas sighed. “Lots.”

The door creaked open. A couple of footsteps and little giggles later, and Victoria and Alex came into view. Victoria stopped dead in her tracks, going wide-eyed. “You're actually awake!” she said, scooping up Alex and running over, throwing her hands around him.

Alex wound up next to him on the bed, grabbing at his shirt. Thomas laughed; it hurt, but it was worth it.

“Finally,” she said, shaking her head. “Newt hasn't shut up since you've been gone.” she laughed, patting Thomas' leg. “How do you feel?”

Thomas smiled, scooping Alex up and sitting her in his lap. She smiled widely, grabbing and touching Thomas' face affectionately. “Much better. The pain's not so bad anymore.”

Victoria nodded. “I'm glad.” She frowned. “When I saw you, when they carried you back here, I thought for sure you were dead. Newt was so panicked, and your face was so pale- your entire shirt was soaked with your own blood. I just figured there was no other explanation. And I felt so empty, because I thought... 'Alex can't grow up without Thomas. There's just no way she should grow up not remembering the way he's loved her. It just isn't fair that he be taken away from her. It wouldn't be fair if it all was taken away from her, and she wouldn't even miss it- cause she wouldn't even know.'” she shook her head, sighing. “I was so relieved when Dr. Smith announced to everyone that you were stable.”

Thomas smiled a little. “Now you know how I felt.”

Victoria smiled, grabbing his hand and giving it a squeeze. “I suppose I do.”

The door opened yet again, and this time Newt walked in, wide-eyed.

Thomas handed Alex over to Victoria, knowing what Newt would do next. And he did, throwing himself onto Thomas. They fell back on the bed. That one hurt a little more, but was even more worth it.

“Ah, finally. You scared me...” Newt muttered, his head buried into the crook of Thomas' neck.

Thomas laughed, rubbing his back. “Every married couple has their troubles.”

Newt laughed, shaking his head as he sat up. “How do ya feel?” he asked, placing a hand on Thomas' face so admirably. The cool metal from his ring, and the slight warmth of his hand felt like home. Thomas let out a content sigh, bringing his hand up to rest on Newt's. “Fantastic.”

Newt smiled, kissing Thomas briefly. “We should get ya back home. Get ya some food, some sleep in a proper bed.”

Dr. Smith nodded. “He's right.”

Thomas nodded. He was starving, and wanted nothing more than to eat. Yet, somehow, even after all that time asleep, he was beginning to get tired again.

Thomas and Newt said their goodbyes to Alex, Victoria, and Dr. Smith and headed home. Thomas was actually grateful for the walking, it felt so good to stretch out.

They ran into Minho along the way, who joked about their carelessness and how long Thomas slept. Newt wouldn't let the conversation carry on too long, he just urged Thomas along.

And despite what Thomas kept saying, Newt insisted on helping him lay down.

“I'm fine,” Thomas laughed, laying back.

“I know ya are, just... Let me take care of you.” Newt said, letting out a sigh. “I love you.”

Thomas reached out and took his hand. “I love you, too.”

Newt smiled dryly. “It was weird. Sleeping here without you.”

Thomas frowned. “I'm back now.” it sounded stupid, but it was all he could think to say.

Apparently it was enough, because Newt just smiled. “Yes you are. I'll be back, I'm going to get you some food.”

Thomas smiled. “Thank you, I'm starving...”

Newt just nodded in his smug little way, and wandered off. Thomas pulled up the covers and rolled onto his stomach, surprised at how little it hurt. He buried his face into the pillows, smiling. He was so glad to be back. The familiar scent, like pine and some kind of dull, sweet scent from their shampoo.

When Newt came back, Thomas was completely content.

The two of them laid around. Thomas ate, and they talked and moved themselves up against each other, not sleeping, but not entirely awake.

Eventually, Thomas actually did fall asleep. The only thing accompanying him was Newt's warmth, and that was enough.

 

When morning rolled around, Thomas awoke to Newt crawling out of bed.

“It's time already?” Thomas groaned.

“Doesn't have to be for you,” Newt said, “In fact, you should probably take today off.”

Thomas sat up. “No way, I need to be up and around.”

Newt gave him a look; the look that meant Newt had already won, and Thomas had to lose.

“Ugh, fine,” Thomas said. “But at least let me come with you to go get cleaned up. It's been awhile...”

Newt laughed. “Alright, alright. Let's go.”

 

Thomas made a real effort to convince Newt that he didn't need another day of rest, but as usual, Newt had already decided. And Thomas couldn't bring himself to argue. He'd lose if he tried anyway.

So Thomas spent the first couple hours of the day being incredibly, and unimaginably, bored out of his mind. Here he was, back at home, finally awake, and he couldn't even spend his waking hours with Newt- with his _husband._

Thomas smiled to himself. He liked that- it had a good ring to it.

And just as he was thinking maybe he could fall back asleep, the door swung open. “Thomas.” Newt said, too affirmative. Too seriously.

“What happened?” Thomas asked, getting to his feet.

Newt looked out the door nervously, then looked back up at Thomas.

“Darius is here.”

 


	36. Chapter Thirty-One- Darius' Visit

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello lovelies! 
> 
> I have been so invested in Telltale's Season Three of the Walking Dead, I can't even. Have you guys ever played or watched someone play those games? I love 'em so much. Anyways! 
> 
> ***I do NOT own The Maze Runner series or any of the characters!***

“Is he alone?” Thomas asked, looking past Newt's shoulder.

“No, he brought two others with him.” Newt said. “We need to go see what he wants, and get him out of here.”

Thomas nodded, stepping outside.

Almost everyone had gathered around, hushed conversations filling the air. Darius and his men just stood there, waiting- Darius had that usual smug look on his face.

Minho stood, arms crossed, before Darius. He looked back at Newt and Thomas, and nodded for them to come join him.

Thomas hung near the back, watching the scene very carefully. Even though he was a part of the leaders now, he still felt a bit out of place.

Darius smiled. “Hello boys!”

“What do you want?” Newt snapped, crossing his arms.

“Well... Rumor has it, you guys killed several of my men.” Darius said, putting his hands on his hips.

“After they were on our side of the island, and then killed one of ours.” Minho replied sharply. “Now I suggest you leave before we have to kill more of you.”

“Woah-ho-ho there, you're all hiss and vinegar, aren't ya?” Darius laughed. He shook his head. “Calm down, boys. I thought we got negotiate something- to compensate for the men you killed.”

“Like he said,” Newt cut in, “I think the fact they were trespassing, and pointlessly butchering perfectly good animals for their little games makes up for the extra men we killed.”

Darius seemed almost glad Newt was snapping at him. “I don't know about that,” he said, shrugging. “Look, we're not after much. Just maybe some supplies. A pot to boil water. A knife for butchering. It'd all be greatly appreciated.”

Newt and Minho exchanged glances.

“Would you leave if we gave it to you?” Minho asked, glaring. “For good, this time.”

Darius smirked. “Well of course, what other reason would we have to bother you?”

Minho looked back at Thomas. Thomas thought it over briefly; these people couldn't exactly be trusted. But who knew, maybe they would just leave if they got the basics to survive. _But we gave them an entire half of an island, and yet here they are again. They don't seem to be the type to be grateful, and then back off..._

“I don't know,” Thomas whispered, shaking his head. “It seems like a bad idea. They'll come back; wanting food or something, then they'll be back again wanting more. Until eventually, they'll just start taking whatever they want.” he frowned over at Newt. “That includes people.”

“Maybe we should give them the benefit of the doubt?” Minho whispered back, though Thomas could tell he didn't mean a word of it. “Or at least just get these shanks out of our hair for now. Then we could work on training our people up- all of 'em, not just Hunters. Then, if they decide to come back, we could handle it.”

“We shouldn't be arming kids,” Newt said, shaking his head.

“Newt, we're practically kids.” Minho countered.

“Yeah, well we didn't have a choice. These ones do. They shouldn't have to go through half what we did.”

Thomas and Minho exchanged glances. He had a point.

“Alright, fine, what about this: We'll send them off with the stuff now. It is somewhat necessary to survive, after all. Then, if they come back again, _we'll_ deal with it. And if they come _after that,_ we'll at least train them to protect themselves.” Minho offered.

Newt and Thomas looked between each other. Not the worst compromise, actually.

“I'm for it.” Thomas said.

“Me too.” Newt said, nodding.

They broke up their little group to turn back to Darius. Darius looked pleased. “So? Have you reached a verdict?”

“We'll give you the stuff.” Minho said. “But we don't want to see you around here anymore, am I clear?”

“Crystal.” Darius said, smugly.

“We mean it.” Newt added, his voice like venom. “If I see you here again, or any of your men, I'll kill all of you on sight.”

Thomas wished that Darius would be offended or angered when Newt said things like that. Instead, he just seemed amused. Almost happy.

And the way he looked at him. Thomas couldn't decide what was worse; that Darius' men looked at _everyone_ with that same desire, or that Darius only looked at Newt that way.

Newt motioned to some boys nearby. “Go get him one of the extra pots, and a butcher knife.”

Darius' eyes suddenly shifted to something. A look of surprise struck him- and Thomas felt his blood run cold when he realized what he was looking at.

Newt's ring caught the sun in the most obvious way.

Thomas was suddenly over-aware of the cold metal on his own finger. Slowly, as to not draw attention, he folded his hands behind his back. He could hear Sierra's voice in the back of his head; _And if he finds out you're together.... He'll use Newt against you. Because he wants to hurt as many people at once as he can._

Trying to move his shoulders as little as possible, he began pushing his ring off his finger. Thomas watched as Darius' eyes swept around, looking at everyone, searching for whoever had the ring to match Newt's. It was too late to hide Newt's now, Thomas might as well hide his. If they were lucky, Darius would decide he was just with someone before all this.

 _There's no way._ Thomas thought, _he paid such close attention to Newt before. There's no way he'd believe that ring was there before._

His only hope now was to just keep his own hidden.

Finally, he got the ring loose. But it slipped too fast, hitting the ground with a gentle _plip,_ bringing up a puff of dirt as it did so.

Thomas froze, watching Darius.

His eyes moved towards Thomas, but they went too far. He wasn't sure of where the sound came from. Thomas got lucky.

Thomas strode forward, acting like he just remembered something. He walked up behind Newt and whispered into his ear. “Just nod and pretend I said something worth thinking about. I'll explain later.”

Newt nodded 'thoughtfully'.

Darius watched them, constantly looking between them. Thomas walked over to Jade, who stood in the crowd, watching Darius. Darius was already suspicious of Newt and Thomas, he needed to be sure not to hover around him when he didn't need to.

“What's going on?” Jade whispered.

Thomas smiled, purely for show. “I'll catch you up later, just smile and nod.”

Jade did so. Darius looked away from them, seeming almost bored of Thomas now. That was a good thing. He'd have to be careful to keep it that way. He needed to keep Newt safe, and if that meant watching from afar while Darius was around, then so be it.

Some boys came back, nervously handing the items over to Darius' men.

Darius smiled. “Thank you for your hospitality. And if you ever need anything, don't be afraid to ask.” he said, with an edge. “Maybe a babysitter. Maybe a worker. I'd be happy to help.” his voice was heavy with some sort of amusement.

Newt rolled his eyes. “Please. Don't count on it.”

“You roll your eyes so beautifully,” he chuckled, nodding to his men. “I guess we'll be on our way.”

Darius waved casually to the crowd before turning, walking off. Not one person moved until he was well out of sight.

Thomas rushed to where he had been standing, retrieving his ring off the ground. Newt met him there. “What in the world was that about?” he asked, curiously watching Thomas as he rubbed the dirt off the ring, sliding it into his pocket.

“Do you remember what Sierra said? About Darius knowing about us being together?” Thomas asked.

“I... I guess? That he'd use it against us, right? What does that have to do with this?” Newt asked, shaking his head, completely lost.

“Your ring.” Thomas said, nodding to Newt's hand. “He noticed it. I couldn't let him see I had the other one, so I slipped it off and got away from it. Then got away from you.”

Newt nodded. “Clever, Tommy.” he shook his head. “What a creep.”

“He's way too interested in seeing Alex.” Thomas said, shaking his head.

Newt sighed. “What do ya expect? He's a weirdo, he's probably mesmerized we got a baby.” Newt reached over and rubbed a spot off Thomas' ring. “I wish they'd leave us alone.”

“We should kill them.” Thomas said simply.

It wasn't until after he saw the look on Newt's face that he realized how callused he sounded. Newt pulled his hand away, leaving Thomas with the sickening feeling that he'd scared him. Newt chewed it over, looking unsettled about Thomas' remark- or possibly about the way he said it- but he just nodded slightly. “Maybe you're right.”

Thomas frowned. “I'm not. I don't know where that came from. We only need to kill them if they attack us.”

Newt looked thoughtful. “I guess we'll see what happens.” he patted Thomas' chest. “You should head home, rest. I think I'm going to arm Victoria, in case Darius decides to have a look at Alex himself.”

“And what about you?” Thomas asked, worriedly. “Who protects you?”

Newt grinned. “That reminds me,” he said, reaching to the waist band of his pants. Two guns were nestled on either side. He handed one over to Thomas. “That's your pistol from when we went and dealt with those men by the fire. I took it after you went down.”

Thomas smiled. “Does that mean I'm supposed to use this to protect you?”

Newt grinned. “I've got one, and you've got one. We can protect each other.”

Thomas nodded, kissing Newt's forehead. “Come home soon.”

Newt nodded. “I'll see you soon.”

 

Thomas headed back to his house, happily crawling into bed.

This whole thing was getting exhausting. Every time they came around, Thomas was left with a bad taste in his mouth. Darius was ruining their peace of mind. Thomas', at least. The way he looked over Newt, constantly, was starting to really piss Thomas off- somehow even more than before.

But with a sigh, he reminded himself he was gone now.

And if he came back again, they'd get to deal with it.

Finally.

 


	37. Chapter Thirty-Two- Just Some Time Together

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So sorry lovelies! 
> 
> Ya know how I usually can't update on Wednesdays? Well, they changed that day to Monday (just this week), so while I didn't update yesterday, I WILL be updating this Wednesday :) Sorry for not letting you know, it was very sudden! Anyways, please do enjoy! 
> 
> ***I do NOT own The Maze Runner series or any of the characters!***

Thomas sat boredly, staring at the window.

Since yesterday they got an unexpected visit from Darius, he couldn't exactly rest. Especially since he began teaching Victoria how to use a gun. Newt, Minho, and Thomas talked it over, and decided that Darius' interest in the baby was dangerous; so Victoria should be able to protect herself _and_ Alex.

Thomas would've much rather preferred to continue another day of target practice of Victoria, but Newt demanded he stay home after they went and bathed.

So now he sat on the bed, directly in the place where the warm sun was spilling onto the covers. That entire spot was warmer, cozier. He could almost pretend he wasn't completely bored out of his mind.

Just then, the door opened, and the person he was wishing he could see was standing there.

Newt walked over, sitting beside him. “What'cha doin'?”

“Well I _was_ waiting for you to get home. Now I'm curious why you're back so early,” Thomas said with a smile, not minding the early return.

Newt shrugged. “Things are under control right now. I told Minho I was gonna leave, and he didn't care, so. If he needs me, he knows where to find me.”

Thomas smiled. “Well I'm glad, I feel like I haven't alone time with you in forever.”

Newt grinned. “Yeah, well think about how I felt when you were out for days.”

Thomas scooted a little closer, resting a hand on Newt's knee. He grinned, sliding his hand up to Newt's hip. “Let me make it up to you,” he whispered, hoping to see Newt's face flush.

He couldn't describe his disappointment when Newt didn't seem flustered in the slightest. “No way, Tommy- you could tear your stitches, we're not doing that.”

Thomas frowned, groaning. “You're cruel.”

Newt smirked smugly, tapping Thomas' nose. “You know me so well.”

Thomas smiled; Newt was just too cute.

“So, I was thinking,” Thomas began, “we should have a ceremony- like an actual wedding, ya know?”

It was _then_ that he got that flustered look.

“What?” Newt asked, as if Thomas had suggested joining Darius' group. “We... That's not really a thing anymore, Tommy.”

Thomas shrugged. “It can be if we make it so. I don't think we should let a tradition like that fade away. Do you?”

Newt looked thoughtful. “Well... I guess not. No, I don't think we should. But... Don't you think people will be a little confused if we just decide to have a ceremony?”

“No,” Thomas said with a smile, “I think more people will start getting married. And that'll be nice.”

Newt smiled, so warm it made Thomas' heart flutter. It even seemed to look _proud_.

“Ya really are something else, Tommy.”

Something about that statement set Thomas' heart on fire. So simple, so heartfelt.

Thomas smiled, reaching over and taking Newt's hand. “We should start planning it. Start talking to the right people.”

“So, you mean pitch it to Minho? And have him call a Gathering?” Newt asked, grinning.

Thomas groaned. “This is going to be a painful process.” He sighed, then offered a half smile. “But definitely worth it.”

Newt nodded. “Yeah. Yeah, it will be.”

“So who do you think will get married after us?” Thomas asked, excited thinking about it.

Newt looked thoughtful. “... Maybe Jorge and Cynthia.”

Thomas nodded. He smirked. “Or Jade and Gally.”

Newt laughed. “I don't know about that. They haven't been together _that_ long.”

“And Gally's too much of a wuss to ask her. It took him like a million years to ask Jade out. It's gonna take at _least_ two million years to propose.”

Newt laughed, then looked down at his hand. “I feel kind of bad. That we're the only ones who have rings. I think that's something about the tradition that should've lasted. But it seems it can't now.”

Thomas did have to admit, that was pretty disappointing.

“Yeah. But, as long as love is the main focus, right? And who knows, maybe we'll find some new way to declare it?” Thomas offered, hoping that was so.

Newt nodded. “I'm sure we will.”

Thomas watched him for a moment, then pushed back a piece of his hair. “I love you.”

“I love ya, too, Tommy.”

“Be careful.” Thomas said, frowning.

Newt frowned. “Is this about Darius again?”

Thomas nodded. “I know, you can take care of yourself. And I'm sure you're tired of hearing me say it, but... If he ever gets near you, just shoot him. I don't care if you kill him, or just hurt him. Just, please, don't let him touch you.”

Newt placed a hand on Thomas' face, sighing deeply. “Tommy, you're a bloody idiot. I'm not gonna let him touch me. He might not even come back.” They both knew that wasn't likely. “And if he does, we'll handle it. And if he gets near me, I'll tell him to back off. And if he doesn't listen, I'll handle it.”

Thomas nodded, sighing and leaning into Newt's touch. “I just really love you, you know?”

“I do,” Newt said, running his thumb over Thomas' cheek, whisking away Thomas' worries with that one, small motion. “So you be careful, too.”

Thomas looked at him curiously. Newt looked over Thomas' face, his eyes were anywhere but at Thomas' eyes- roaming over his jaw, his skin, his lips.

“He'll hurt you. He'll kill you if you prove to be a threat to him and his bloody game. I know he will. But I don't think you do.”

“I do,” Thomas said with a nod. “Trust me, I do.”

Newt nodded. “Good, then. No worries.”

“No worries,” Thomas said halfheartedly.

Thomas laid back. Newt looked like he wanted to lay on him, as he usually did, but opted for curling up at his side. “You being wounded is starting to get really inconvenient.”

Thomas laughed. “Yeah, you're telling me.”

Newt laughed, resting his head on Thomas' shoulder. “Hurry up and heal.”

“Workin' on it,” Thomas said with a nod. “So. Should we bring up our plan tomorrow? Just stay inside and nap today?”

Newt nodded. “Sounds lovely to me.”

Thomas grinned. “Maybe then you'll let me prove to you that it's not bothering me anymore.”

Newt rolled over, turning his back on Thomas. “Yeah, don't push it.”

Thomas smiled, catching the joking in his voice. He turned onto his side, draping an arm over Newt's waist. “I love you.”

“I love ya, too, Tommy.”

Thomas shut his eyes, inviting sleep to take him. All the while thinking of how he wouldn't let anything take this perfect, wonderful person away from him.

 


	38. Chapter Thirty-Three- Catching Up and Getting Back to Work

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys! 
> 
> Sorry for the disappearance! My wifi was super bad, because the WEATHER was super bad (again...), and nothing with upload correctly. But I am back now! 
> 
> But I did want to say: Please don't panic if I ever miss a day or something, and don't tell you why. Now that I'm in my EWU English 101 class, I'm crazy busy and tired! And yes, the weather prevented me from updating, but yesterday, that was more because I was exhausted. I just got home, did my homework as fast as possible, and passed out! So sorry about that guys, but I feel like it might happen here and there, and I just don't want anyone to panic! 
> 
> Anyway! This chapter is just another sort of laid-back chapter. I hope you enjoy it! (: 
> 
> ***I do NOT own The Maze Runner series or any of the characters!***

The morning started as they all did, which Thomas was thankful for. This slight disturbance in his paradise was starting to frustrate him.

When Thomas and Newt parted as they usually did, Thomas had to admit, he was glad to be up and around. Now that Newt let him out of the house, anyway.

First, he stopped by Victoria's.

She was very happy to see him, and welcomed him in as warmly as she usually did. “Do you think he'll come back?” she asked worriedly, eyeing Alex, playing with her little stuffed elephant.

“I don't know.” Thomas admitted. “But we'll handle it if need be.”

Victoria sighed. “So you want to teach me how to shoot? To protect Alex?”

Thomas frowned a little and nodded. He hated to make her feel like she had to be armed. Though, if Darius came back again, everyone would be anyways. Maybe it'd be kinder to give her a head start.

“I think that's a good eye.” she said, her eyes steely. She watched Alex, and Thomas could see every protective, maternal instinct in them. Mothers were definitely a force of nature, especially when their child was in harm's way.

Thomas nodded, pleased to hear it. “I figure we can start in a day or two. Let everyone calm down a little bit before they see me out there, teaching you how to shoot.”

Victoria nodded. “I think that's a good idea, too.”

They chatted for a little while longer, but Thomas had other people to see, so he bid Alex and Victoria a farewell.

Next on the list was Jade. He never did catch up with her after his little improvised move the other day.

He knocked on the door. It felt weird to knock. Back when they had Alex, she would just walk right in most of the time. Thomas felt like she probably would've been fine with it, but he didn't want to be rude.

She opened the door slowly, as if trying to keep it from creaking. She smiled, and motioned Thomas inside. “Gally's sleeping,” she said, her voice low, but not quite a whisper. “He was up early with the builders, putting reinforcements on the Supply House, in case those men try to steal something.”

Thomas nodded. It was smart.

Jade seated herself on the floor, beside her bed, running her fingers along Gally's hair. Thomas took one of the chairs, settling in.

“So what was that whole thing?” she asked. Sharp girl.

“Those girls we took in from Darius and his people, they warned us that if he knew Newt and I were together, he'd only want Newt more knowing it would hurt someone if something awful happened to him.” Thomas shook his head. “Darius saw Newt's ring.”

Jade nodded thoughtfully. “So you dropped yours, and came to me, pretending to be interested in me to divert suspicion.”

Very sharp girl.

“Bingo,” Thomas said.

Jade nodded. “Well, when he shows up again, if you need to come over and hold my hand or something, don't hesitate. It's a small price to pay to keep Newt safe,” she said, teasingly.

“Thanks,” Thomas said with a smile.

Jade nodded and sighed, watching Gally sleep. “Do you think he'll kill anymore of us?”

A shudder went through Thomas as he thought about it. He couldn't help but think it could be Newt, if anyone. After everything they'd been through, after all that fighting- just to have him die at the hands of some perverted, psychotic group that seemed to come from nowhere. It was truly terrifying to think about.

Or Minho. Or Gally. Or Jade, or Dr. Smith, or Victoria, or anyone. Or Alex.

“I won't let him.” Thomas said. “I'll at least do everything I possibly can to make sure he doesn't.”

Jade nodded, watching Gally sleep. “That makes two of us.”

Thomas watched them. “Do you love him?”

Jade smiled at the question. “You see the way I look at him. You already know the answer to that.”

Thomas smiled and nodded.

They chatted briefly, just catching up. Then he headed out. He ran into Minho and Newt, walking and talking. They looked all business, and it dawned on Thomas that he was supposed to be one of the Leaders now, too. He needed to actually commit- to get up with Newt, start running things with them. Thomas looked over his shoulder at the houses he'd just visited. That was the last day he'd be able to get up and catch up with them.

Thomas fell in tow with them.

Newt grinned. “Finally deciding to own up to your new job?”

Thomas laughed and nodded. “Just needed to get one more day of nothing behind me.” he had to admit, he was going to miss it. And once this was all over, he'd go back to it.

 _Once this is all over._ He thought, shaking his head. _It won't be, unless they have to die._ The thought didn't surprise Thomas, though. And he still planned on going back to the lazy life. He was sure it would come to that- to killing them.

Newt took his hand. “What're ya thinkin' about in there?”

Thomas shook his head. “Just how much I'm gonna miss sleeping in.”

Newt laughed, leaning his head on Thomas' shoulder. “Well, ya get to wake up with me at least. And I'll make it up to ya,” he said with a wink.

“Gross,” Minho noted casually, looking deep in thought about everything. “Should we build a prison?” he asked.

Thomas shook his head. “Waste of materials and time. We all know that if they're here, whatever they do, they're either cooperating and leaving, or they're putting us in danger. And they need to die.”

Newt frowned and nodded, seeming bothered that he agreed.

Minho nodded as well. “I suppose you're right.”

A solem sort of gloom fell over them for a moment as they walked in silence, patrolling the place. Minho spoke again. “Thomas, you're gonna teach Victoria how to shoot, right?”

Thomas nodded. “In a couple days or so, yeah.”

Minho nodded, as if checking off a mental checklist. “I guess everything's in order, then. There's not we can do about those guys now, not until they come rearing their ugly shank heads again.”

Newt nodded. “We just have to be ready.”

“We should build a second Supply House. Hidden.” Thomas blurted. He wasn't sure where that idea came from, but it seemed right.

Newt and Minho looked at each other, then back at Thomas. “That ain't half bad, Tommy.” Newt said.

Minho nodded. “Ten minutes on the job, and he's already earning his pay.”

“I don't get paid,” Thomas remarked with a grin.

“We'll build a Supply House off in the middle of the common houses, and we'll make it look like one, too. Put some of the real important stuff in there.” Minho said, nodding. “I'll go find Dave and get him started on it.”

“So, did you bring up the ceremony yet?” Thomas asked after Minho had rushed off.

“No,” Newt said with a shake of his head. “I figured we could ask together.”

Thomas nodded. “Sounds like a plan. Wanna sneak home?”

Newt slapped his arm playfully. “You can't do that now! You've got a very important job.”

Thomas grinned. “Well, we could just make out, right here.”

“You're a pig,” Newt laughed, but he still took a step forward.

Thomas was kind of surprised he was going with it; Newt was somewhat reserved about the romantic things they did.

Newt grabbed Thomas by the shirt and pulled him down so they were level. “I want as much of you as I can get.”

Thomas smirked. “Trying to bother Darius, who isn't here?”

“Maybe he'll get a bad feelin', and that's win for me,” Newt purred.

Thomas couldn't agree more, kissing Newt deeply.

They got several fake gagging noises, and some 'awe's. Thomas was having a pretty good time, but eventually they had to stop for breath.   
“Think that bothered him?” Newt asked, somewhat winded.

“Maybe. But I know what would give him a _really_ bad feeling...”

Newt looked Thomas up and down. “Let's go.”

With a laugh, Thomas took Newt's hand and they ran back home together, snickering and stealing kisses the entire way.

Not even an hour on the job, and Thomas was already getting into trouble.

But he didn't care. And something told him Newt didn't either.

 


	39. Chapter Thirty-Four- Late Nights and Early Mornings

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey Lovlies! 
> 
> This was last nights update, but the weather was making my internet funky, so I decided not to risk it and just post it today!! 
> 
> Enjoy! 
> 
> ***I do NOT own The Maze Runner series!***

It had to be at _least_ midnight.

Newt and Thomas hadn't gotten much sleep. Thomas lay on his back, his right arm folded under his head, propping it up just enough for him to look at Newt.

Newt was sitting, knees to his chest, one of the three blankets on their bed draped over his shoulders, covering his body beneath it. Thomas just wanted to tug it off.

Newt had been staring out the window for awhile, moonlight shining on him, as if he needed to be more hauntingly gorgeous than he already was.

It dawned on Thomas that maybe he wasn't staring out the window to catch his breath and relax anymore.

“Are you okay?” Thomas asked, removing his left hand from his own chest, and reaching over to lightly run his fingertips against Newt's leg, even if it was covered in blankets.

Newt took his eyes away from the moon, but didn't look at Thomas, just stared off. His eyes were dark, and the light shimmering off them made him look like something otherworldly. His beauty was sophisticated, haunting, beautifully dark. Definitely different than most; definitely better.

“Just thinkin', I guess.” he replied after a long pause.

That tone of voice was one Thomas recognized, and it wasn't happy. Thomas propped himself on his elbows. “What about?”

Newt looked over at him. “Well. We have it good, don't we? We're engaged. We have our own house. We were able to raise Alex for awhile. We have good friends. We know good people. They're our family. We have supplies, and food, and water, and sunshine.”

Thomas nodded. “Yeah,” he said, curious as to what this had to do with anything. It sounded pretty good to Thomas.

“And I get nights like this with you,” Newt said, looking away now. “Just each other. All the time in the bloody world, it seems like. These are the best nights...”

“So...” Thomas began, completely sitting up now. “What's the problem then?”

Newt hugged his knees. “I was just thinkin' about Alby. He died, for us, yes, but also because he wanted to. He didn't want to live in the real world.” Newt looked at Thomas. “But now look at us.”

Thomas frowned. He knew this feeling all too well. There were just some nights, out of the blue, that the pain would come back. It was never really gone, actually. It just lay dormant, waiting to wake at complete random.

It dawned on Thomas that Newt didn't break down as much. He was too busy hugging Thomas while he did. Thomas suddenly felt incredibly guilty.

“Why couldn't he have seen this?” Newt whispered, tears filling his eyes.

Thomas frowned and scooted over to him. He had barely gotten his arms open when Newt leaned into them. He buried his voice in the crook of Thomas' neck, sniffling.

“I wish he could've seen this, too.” Thomas whispered.

“He was my best friend,” Newt hiccuped. “How could that selfish shank leave me?”

Thomas frowned. “He had no way of knowing life would end up like this. None of us did.”

Newt shook his head. “Things were bad, but we had each other. Why couldn't that had been enough?”

Thomas knew that his words meant nothing right now. That was just how this was. Times like this were dark and heavy, and when you cried it out, you weren't thinking about what other people said. You were just getting it out. So that was what Newt was doing. Though, Thomas continued to speak and offer his support, because for Thomas at least, when Newt spoke to him in these moments, it was Newt's voice that offered the most comfort.

Newt was definitely more quiet than Thomas. But he still sobbed somewhat loudly, occasionally muttering things under his breath that were lost in his sobs. Thomas just held him, letting him get this out.

After some time passed, after Newt had settled down a bit, he began speaking.

“I wonder what it must have been like... To know what was waiting for us,” Newt said, still in the same position.   
Thomas didn't move either.

“Probably worse than just walking into it like we did,” Thomas admitted. “To sit around and think about it, and see it how it is, without your friends. Probably pretty bad.”

Newt nodded. “It really messed him up. I wish it hadn't messed him up.”

Thomas screwed his eyes shut, his heart breaking at the sadness in those words.

“I think he tried to be himself.” Thomas said.

“I think so, too.” Newt said.

More silence for awhile.

“He was brave.” Newt said. “He was scared, and he knew what was out there, but he still left the Maze with us.”

Thomas just nodded.

“He killed himself. For us, and out of fear. But he came along, knowing that we would very well escape.”

Thomas nodded. “He pulled me aside once. Told me I better not hurt you.”

Thomas could feel Newt smile against his skin, it made Thomas smile too.

“Did he really?” Newt asked, pulling away from Thomas to look at him; a smile on his face. His eyes were glassy and red, and his cheeks were flushed, but he was still beautiful.

Thomas laughed a little. “He did. You meant a lot to him. I wish he could see us now, about to get married. I'd just walk right up to him and say, 'I told you so'.”

Newt smiled, looking down at the ring on his finger. “I wish he could see it, too. He knew I liked you before I knew I liked you. Gave me lots of shit about it. He got to say 'I told you so' because of it.” he smiled up at Thomas. “I'm glad he was right.”

Thomas smiled. “I am, too.” he whispered, not able to bring himself to speak louder than that.

Without another word, they both settled into bed; Newt laying his head on Thomas' chest, staring out the window again. Thomas laying on his back, one arm behind his head, the other wrapped around Newt. He too just looked out the window.

They'd regret it in the morning, but they laid there and watched the moon for hours- until the midnight sky became the dull colors of dawn, and all the starlight faded. Thomas never saw sunlight spread across the sky like a breath, he fell asleep somewhere between dawn and sunrise.

Somehow, he knew he wouldn't actually regret it.

 

Now, he definitely didn't regret that time with Newt, but he definitely wasn't happy when it was time to get up.

Thomas was a zombie as they walked to the lake. He was a zombie as they walked back from the lake. He was a zombie as they met up with Minho. He was a zombie as they waited for breakfast. The only time he started to feel somewhat awake again was when he started eating.

“Oh,” Minho said through a mouthful, “Gathering after this.”

Newt nodded. He had dark circles under his eyes. Thomas couldn't decide if it was because he was just tired, or of all the crying he had done that night. Maybe both.   
But he looked much better. He even sat up a little straighter. Thomas could only wonder how long he had been carrying that around, letting it build and build like that until he was finally able to really let it go last night.

“You guys look like crap,” Gally said matter-of-factly.

“Have a rough night?” Jade asked, actually sounding concerned.

Thomas nodded. Even though most of the time they were up had been spent doing “other things”, but everything after that was definitely the more tiring stuff.

Nobody pressed them any farther, though. Thomas was thankful for that.

 

After breakfast, like Minho said, there was a Gathering.

It was slow getting started, but once it got going, Thomas felt much more awake. Mainly because he was actually interested in the topics this time.

“Alright,” Minho said, looking over the notes on his notepad. “So, we need to talk about building a hidden Supply House, disguised as a house, just in case they try to steal from us. And,” he paused, then laughed a little. “Well, we'll just talk about it after this.”

Thomas and Newt exchanged a smile.

In the end, they ended up agreeing that Thomas' idea about the hidden Supply House was a good idea. The Builders would being that project the following day. Thomas could only imagine how lonely Jade would be. Poor girl, Thomas knew the feeling.

Though, now that he had stepped up, he supposed he wouldn't know it anymore.

Minho nodded. “Alright, next on the list- a wedding.”

Of course, everyone turned their heads to Newt and Thomas. It was kind of embarrassing, actually, but Thomas just laughed a little.

“Like, a ceremony?” Brenda asked, smiling. “We're going to have a ceremony?”

“That's what we're here to talk about.” Minho opened his mouth, ready to do this the proffesional way, then he just stopped and looked around. “Does anyone really have a problem with this?”

No one spoke up.

Minho nodded. “Good, then we don't need to go through the motions on this one. There ya have it, we'll have one. How do you guys want to do this?”

Thomas laughed. “I'll have you talk to Victoria. I promised her she could organize it.”

“Fair enough.” Minho said with a laugh. “I'll let her take it from here.”

With that, Minho called the end of the Gathering.

Newt smiled. “Victoria wants to organize it?”

Thomas nodded. “She's been excited about this for a long time.”

Newt smiled and nodded. “She'll do great.”

“She will.”

They didn't move, just watched everyone else pour out. Once it was just them, Thomas took Newt's hand. “It's really gonna happen now. Are you ready?”

Newt looked at their hands and smiled. “Always.”

Thomas returned that smile.

He was ready, too.

 


	40. Author's Note: Let's Talk

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey babies, long time no see! This is gonna be a long one, but a lot needs to be said. I'll bold the important stuff so you don't have to read all of it if you don't want to ;)

Hi guys. 

It's been a long time! A couple months, right? That's crazy. But anyway, let's get this started, cause there's lots to say. 

 **I did not forget about you guys or these stories. Nor have I lost interest in these stories, not even a little.** Sadly, very unexpectedly, we had a death in the family. I won't get into that too much, but the first two weeks that I disappeared was because we had to very suddenly fly down to California, and attend his funeral. We also all stayed down there for awhile at his wife's house, and the entire family spent some time together. 

Then, when we got back, we discovered from the notice on our door that  **our landlord had been taking our rent payments, and not giving them to the mortgage company. He was (very illegally) keeping our money. We cannot afford a lawyer, so we're going to be evicted.** We had to lose our internet to bring in some extra money to pay enough money (directly to the company this time) to be able to stay in this house until June, so I don't have to switch schools when I'm in my senior year that is almost over.  **So I haven't,(and still don't have) had any internet at my house.**

So, I'm at my cousin's house right now, and this is the first time I've had internet in months! Augh! 

**So here's what this means for you guys:**

**My mom wants to try to get internet again before we move in mid-June, but I don't really see how that's going to happen. If it somehow does, I could be back to updating as soon as a couple weeks. (Please do not be too hopeful about this, I think it's just some really wishful thinking).**

**The more realistic outcome: I won't have internet until we move into our new place. Best case scenario, I could have internet again in late June or early July. Worst case scenario, it'll take a little longer, and I won't have internet until late July or early August. (Yikes.)**

**But there's good news!!**

**When I have internet again, I have plenty of ideas and plans. I'll come back to these stories, fulfill requests, and will probably also write for some of my other fandoms, as well as Maze Runner! So there will be lots of material :) AND, I will be doing college online for my Associate's Degree, so I will have time to update more than I would if I attended physical college!**

I guess bolding the important stuff was pointless, since most of it was important... But! There it is! I am so sorry to those who were worried I wasn't coming back, or who thought I died or something. A lot's been going on. I really do miss you guys, and I love you all so much. Thank you to those for the continued love and support <3 

I will be talking to you guys again as soon as possible. 

Wait for me, lovlies, I'll be back. 


	41. Yet Another Author's Note!!

My beautiful, amazing, patient lovlies! 

There is no way for me to express how grateful I am for the continued support and commenting. It is a relief to know you're still out there, and I want you to know that I love the heck out of ya! 

But anyway, what you guys care about, the update!! 

So, the house we had in mind, that was also in our price budget fell through. But! Mom got a new job not long ago, and now we've got some pretty good money coming in! Today, we went and purchased a brand new, beautiful mobile home! (I know, mobile home, sound sketchy, but it's beautiful and wonderful!) Now we're just looking for the property to put it on! 

I'd say the latest I'll be gone is another three months. Which sucks, I know it, but it won't be forever. OR, mom wants to get unlimited internet here, at our place, since not having it is really sucking... Waiting for the new house is just taking too long, and I start my Associates degree online in January, so we gotta have it! 

So, realistically, I could be back a week from now, I could be back a month from now, or I could be back four months from now. Just bear with me here, I'll be back as soon as I can my sweethearts. Seriously, I can't tell you how happy it makes me that you've continued to wait for me. People are still leaving comments, and kudos, and all sorts. It really is amazing. 

Sorry for the inconvenience, and making you wait! I gotta go, but I will be back! 

Until then, my lovlies!


	42. Chapter Thirty-Five- Wedding Plans

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> MY LOVLIES!! 
> 
> Surprise!! We haven't finished the move yet, but mom got tired of having to go to the library all the time and we got internet again, FINALLY. So yes, I'm back!! Of course, I come back on the day that AO3 is having a site update (which is in about an hour for me), so who knows if this comes out before or after, it all depends on how quickly I write it! 
> 
> It feels so nice to be back, I missed you all dearly. Now let's stop wasting time!!   
> ***I do not own the Maze Runner series or any of the characters!***

An entire week went by. 

And they still weren't married. 

Thomas didn't mind it, though. Victoria had been working on it since the day she found out, it was just taking much longer than Thomas had expected. Who knew planning weddings was such a long process? 

"They usually took much, much longer than this," Victoria explained, scribbling something, probably wedding-related-on a piece of paper as she spoke. "People would spend months planning things, sometimes up to a year. Weddings were a huge deal. And expensive." 

Thomas sat on the floor in Victoria's house, Alex made various noises as she played with her elephant. "Jeez." he glanced at her. "Were you planning your wedding? Like, before all this?" 

Victoria smiled a little, but it looked a little sad. "No, actually. As you can imagine, a world with the Flare wasn't exactly interested in that sort of thing. Obviously, people still got married, but my fiance and I were always too stressed to even try. It was dangerous to do much of anything." 

Thomas nodded a little. "That really sucks." 

"But that doesn't mean I didn't mentally plan it all the time," Victoria laughed. "It's not like we have the stuff we used to, but I think I can make this work for you two." 

Thomas smiled. Alex made several sputtering noises, then held out her hand. Thomas highfived it. She had learned to do that a couple days ago, and now she constantly demanded highfives from everybody. It was very cute. 

"So where's Newt anyway?" Victoria asked, not looking away from her very important wedding planning. 

"He's off." Thomas said, "we have just about nothing to do today, but he still finds ways to busy himself. He doesn't like to be still," Thomas laid back on his back, and Alex promptly began to crawl onto his stomach. "Which is inconvenient, cause that's all I like to do." 

Victoria laughed. "For someone who's not that lazy, you sure act lazy." 

"It's all about the state of mind." 

Minho let himself in. Thomas glanced up at him, still laying on the floor. "So I see barging in isn't exclusive to just my house." 

"Of course not," Minho said, crossing his arms. "I'm a man of the people." 

Thomas laughed. "Anyway, what do you want?" 

Minho walked over, sitting beside Thomas and poking Alex, making her giggle. "I came to see how all this wedding business is going. Ever since we announced it, people have been anxious to see this." 

"Victoria's working on it." Thomas explained, "give her some time." 

Victoria smiled over at them. "Actually, I think I'm done." 

Thomas sat up excitedly, wrapping Alex up in his arms. "Really? Can we see?" 

Minho was on his feet already, trying to rush over and see. Victoria threw herself over the papers, laughing. "No! Not until Newt's here!" 

Thomas stood, placing Alex on the bed. "I'll be right back then," he said, rushing out. 

Thomas ran into Brenda, stopping her. "Have you seen Newt around?" 

Brenda shook her head with a shrug. "He's all over the place all the time, I have no idea." 

Thomas nodded, about to go jog off when Brenda stopped him. "Why? Is everything okay?" 

"Yeah, Victoria just finished our wedding plans and whatnot, and she won't let us see them unless Newt is there," he said with a laugh. "Which I suppose is fair, but I really, really want to see them, and there's no telling where Newt is..." 

Brenda frowned a bit. Thomas did as well. "Are you okay?"

Brenda nodded a bit. "Yeah."

Thomas sighed. "You should really give the other guys around here a chance, they all like you." 

"I don't like any of them," she said with a shake of her head. She looked at Thomas, sighed, then began walking away. 

And maybe it wasn't the nicest thing to do, but Thomas let her walk away. He knew that if he pressed this any further, it'd probably just get worse. He couldn't understand why she hadn't moved on yet. 

But to make things instantly better, Newt appeared into his view not far off. He was walking around with Jacob, who had a handful of mud, insisting on making a house out of it. Thomas smiled. His mom was going to pissed. 

Thomas caught up with them, placing a hand affectionately on Jacob's head. "Hey, she's done," Thomas said, excitedly. 

"Really?" Newt asked, excitedly. "Can we see 'em?" 

"That's why I came to get you, she won't let me see them without you!" he said, grabbing Newt's hand. "Let's goooooo, I can't wait any lonnnggerrrrr," Thomas whined, tugging on Newt's arm. 

Newt smiled apologetically at Jacob. "I gotta go, kiddo." 

Jacob looked at Thomas, then threw his ball of mud at Thomas. It clung to his shirt for a minute before just falling on the ground with anticlimactic _blop._ Jacob laughed giddily. Thomas just stared at the spot of mud on his shirt. "Gee, thanks." 

Newt laughed and grabbed his hand, pulling him along. "Come on, let's go!" 

 

When they reached Victoria's place, Jade and Gally were there as well. Minho lay stretched out on Victoria's bed, arms folded behind his head. "Wow, I'm surprised you actually found him." 

Gally stood behind Jade, who was sitting on the floor, playing with Alex. He crossed his arms, staring at Thomas for a minute. "What the hell is on your shirt?" 

"Don't worry about it," Thomas said, rushing over to Victoria. "I found him, let's see it!" 

Everyone crowded around, and Victoria just smiled, opening her notebook. There on the first page was a beautiful sketch of an alter. It was simple, only about seven feet tall. But throughout the wooden boards, she had drawn flowers, all different kinds. On the ground, scattered under and around the alter, were Cherry Blossom petals. Jade gasped. "It's beautiful!" 

Victoria glanced at Gally. "Do you think you could build something like that?" 

Gally nodded. "Easily." 

Victoria nodded. "I know it could be considered a waste of wood, but I figured, if more people start getting married, we could save it and use it for all the weddings." 

Minho nodded. "I think it's a good idea." 

"I do too," Jade chirped, "because I definitely want that at my wedding," she said, never taking her eyes off the sketch as she wrapped her arms around Gally's. Gally just blushed deeply. 

Thomas smiled at Newt, who was already smiling and looking at him. 

Victoria opened to the next page, where she had an odd assortment of flowers drawn on. She turned to them. "So, I was thinking... Since we need a new way of doing weddings and everything, maybe every guest could bring a different flower--since the woods grows so many of them, I can't imagine it'd be all that hard for everyone to have a different one, and just make two big bouquets for you guys to keep after the ceremony..." she said, with a shrug. "I was just throwing ideas around." 

Jade squealed. "That's so cute!" she squeezed Gally's arm. "I can't wait!" 

"Seriously," Thomas said, laughing. "That's... amazing." 

Victoria smiled widely, obviously pleased to hear this. "And I don't know what time of day you guys want to do this, but if you wanted to do it at night..." she opened the book, and Thomas' breath was taken away. 

She had sketched the alter, as she had before, but now there were three candles by the right side of the alter, and another group of three by the left side. Then she had sketched where people would be sitting, on the ground. There were the occasional group of candles around it, but the aisle was lined with candles and covered in petals. Part of the beauty was Victoria's excellent art skills, a particularly realistic and beautiful moon hanging directly overhead. 

Newt took Thomas' hand, staring wide-eyed at the paper. Minho whistled, impressed. Jade had her hand over her mouth, the other arm still linked with Gally's. Victoria blushed a little. "Do you guys... like it?" 

Thomas stared at the paper, laughing a bit, his heart skipping a beat. "Yeah," he muttered, looking at Newt. "I think that's it." 

Newt looked at Thomas and nodded. "I think so, too." 

Thomas leaned forward and kissed him softly. 

Minho remained silent this time. 


	43. Chapter Thirty-Six- I Told You So

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Another update! I don't know what my new update schedule will be just yet, but I do know that I'm probably gonna be spamming updates for the next couple days... I'm just so excited to be back writing!! <3 So this is a longer chapter, to make up for the last one being so short. It's a little dark, but we all know I'm dark, so enjoy... XD 
> 
> ***I do not own the Maze Runner series or any of the characters!***

Of course, they were many other things to talk about with the wedding. 

They had to discuss what they'd wear, which was a short conversation. it's not like they had suits or dresses or anything, so people would just have to wear whatever they had. Victoria told them all about how weddings used to be; going on and on about bridesmaids, a best man, a ring bearer, etc., etc. To Thomas, it just all sounded totally exhausting. 

Newt and Thomas just sat on Victoria's bed, letting her talk and ask questions. Minho left, of course. He got bored very easily. Gally did too, but Jade happily sat there and listened, even though she already knew all these things anyway. 

Finally, they had it all pretty much planned out. 

Guests would sit on the ground, because it'd be kind of a mess of mismatching chairs otherwise. Thomas and Newt wouldn't have minded, but Victoria was adamant that everything be perfect. 

They also decided they wouldn't go too over the top. They'd just have Minho speak and give them the rings, since he'd probably pout if he didn't get a special job. They also decided they would walk down the aisle together. Victoria would tie together the bouquets for them after the official ceremony was over. Then they'd eat, people would give a speech or something if they wanted to, and that'd be about it. 

Newt stood and stretched. "Okay, now that that's settled, I'm out of here," he said, kissing Alex's head as he left. Thomas kissed her head too. "I'm gonna follow him," Thomas said, "thank you, Victoria." 

Victoria smiled. "Of course. I'll get Gally started on that alter, once it's done, we can do this." 

Thomas nodded excitedly, turning and running to catch up with Newt. "I'm super excited," he said, "but all the plannin' makes me tired just hearing it." 

Thomas laughed, holding Newt's hand as they walked. "Me too. But it's all gonna be worth it," he said, leaning over and kissing Newt's cheek. 

Without really meaning to, they ended up walking over to the cliff. They sat there, enjoying the cool air that was beginning to whisper through the air. The sun would begin setting soon, they only had an hour or two of broad sunlight. Newt leaned his head on Thomas' shoulder. They stared at the old boat Darius and his crew arrived on before Thomas spoke up. "Did they find anything else in there, besides weapons?" 

"They found a door, but it's jammed shut. Someone lodged a piece of wood in the top real tight." Newt said. "We didn't really care enough to try and pry it open." 

Thomas smirked over at Newt. Newt rolled his eyes. "No way." 

"Awe come on," Thomas groaned, nudging him. "What if there's, like, gold in there or something?" 

Newt laughed. "They're not bloody pirates, Tommy. There's probably more weapons or something gross in there. And even if there was gold in there, what would we do with it?" 

Thomas paused.  _Yeah, good point._ He hopped up anyway. "Come on, anyway! Maybe there's like... Um..." he rolled it over, trying to think of something to tempt Newt to give in. "There could be... Candy?" That's stupid, they were around nineteen now, not ten. 

Newt stood, brushing himself off. "I'm sold." 

Okay, so candy worked for any age, clearly.

Thomas laughed and they made their way ungracefully down to the beach. They could've easily gone around to where the land was flatter, but they went down the side of the cliff instead. They walked over to the boat. Newt frowned, poking a barnacle on the exposed underbelly of the ship. "Gross." 

"Must've been on this thing for a  _long_ time." Thomas commented as they walked around to the side where a ripped net hung over the edge; must've been what the others had been using when they searched this thing. He thought for a moment about Newt trying to get up a net with his limp, ultimately deciding it was a bad idea. "Come here." 

Newt walked over, assessing the net situation, probably thinking about how he was going to have a hard time when he tried to climb it. Without giving him any warning, Thomas grabbed him by the hips from behind and boosted him up. Newt squeaked in surprise, but still grabbed the edge and clambered over. Thomas laughed a bit to himself as he quickly scaled up the net. Newt stood and brushed himself off. "A warnin' next time would be appreciated." 

"I'm sure it would be," Thomas teased. "Not gonna happen, though." 

They walked around the deck for awhile, looking at the small, discarded items all around. Lots of trash, cans, bottles. The boat was a mess. Newt picked up an empty, dark bottle curiously, swishing around the small amount of liquid left inside. "I dare ya to drink this." 

Thomas walked over, taking the bottle and inspecting it. "Hmm. What happens if I do drink this? Do I get an award?" 

Newt looked thoughtful. "Um... I'll let you sleep in tomorrow." 

"Deal," Thomas said, gulping it down and immediately regretting it. The liquid left fire down his entire throat, and to top it off, it tasted horrible. "Yuck! What the heck is that?!" he cried, holding it out for Newt to take it away from him. He wanted to get as far away from that as possible.

Newt took it and skimmed over the label. "Beer?" 

"I hope that wasn't some kind of disgusting poison," Thomas said, sticking his tongue out in disgust. 

Newt just giggled, walking over to the door that couldn't be opened. He attempted yanking it open but to no success. Thomas tried next; again, nothing. Then they tried together. Nada. Thomas looked at the bottle; it was heavy, even when it was so empty. "Maybe we can break the knob off with this," he said, picking it up. 

Newt frowned. "Tommy, I'm pretty sure that bottle is glass." 

Thomas shook his head. "You held it! It's some kind of fake glass. Too heavy." 

Newt crossed his arms, backing up as Thomas walked over to the door. "Nope, Tommy, I'm quite certain that's glass and you're about to do something really stupid." 

Thomas stuck his tongue out. "Have some faith, I know what I'm doing." 

He smacked the bottle down on the knob. It shattered everywhere without the slightest resistance. 

Thomas just stared at the glass on the floor and sighed. "... Don't say it."  

"I told you so." 

Thomas just groaned loudly in response. Newt scurried around the deck for awhile, searching for something useful when he found a warped crowbar under some abandoned, ripped up sacks and remains of nets. "Hey, this could work." 

Thomas kicked glass out of the way and stepped aside to let Newt have his turn trying to get the door open. Thomas crossed his arms, mimicking Newt's previous stature. "I'm telling you, Newt, you're gonna do something stupid," Thomas said, mocking his accent. 

Newt laughed, making Thomas do the same. "Shut up, Tommy," Newt laughed, jamming the crowbar in the small space between the door and the wall of the cabin-like area it led to. He positioned himself and started pressing his entire weight into it. Nothing at first, then there was a creak. Thomas, surprised it was actually working, ran over and positioned himself behind Newt, helping him push. 

The door swung open, and both of them were betrayed by their own strength; sent flying and hitting the deck hard. Thomas groaned and pushed himself up, then helped pull Newt back to his feet. "Lucky none of us were impaled by shards of glass," Newt smirked. 

Thomas rolled his eyes. "Yeah, yeah, you're a genius, I got it." 

"Good," Newt said smugly, walking into the small room. 

It was a bedroom, sort of. It was small, and there was a bed off to the left side, a desk in the middle, against the back wall, covered in all kinds of papers, a box of clothes beside the bed, and a basket off to the left wall. They looked around curiously, both of them drawn straight to the desk. There was a map on the desk, but scribbled over it in a dark pen read; "IT'S POINTLESS NOW ANYWAY". 

Newt frowned, "Uh, that's a bit creepy." 

"Agreed," Thomas said, frowning. 

Newt was busy shuffling through stained and ripped papers literally piled on the desk while Thomas walked about curiously. There were scratches all over the walls, there was even a pocket knife lodged in the wall beside the bed. Thomas pulled it out with some effort, examining it. He shut it and slid in his back pocket. A good knife's a good knife. 

"Hey look, I found a journal under all this rubbish." Newt said, holding up the little brown notebook with fancy gold lettering that read "Journal" on the front. Newt flipped open to a random page. 

Thomas got chills. 

Only one words scrawled across the entire pages "Julia." Newt slowly turned the next page, the same there. And then again and again. Newt flipped through the entire book before opening it to the very first page. It had an actual entry on it. In neat letters, it read; 

_It's the third day on the boat. Things are good, despite the heat. Julia really is upset about it. But other than that, we'll be fine, I'm sure of it. We have so much clean water, and one of the men we picked up said that with those little tin cups we found, he could boil more from the ocean if we needed to. No problems there, at least._

_Though, food is somewhat of a worry. We have plenty for now, but it won't stay that way. Especially for Julia. I know she's gonna hate it, but she's gonna end up having to the same stuff as we do. We're hoping to find fish soon._

_Overall, I can't complain. Julia is safe, and we're far from any of the whack jobs. Far from the Flare._

_We'll be fine._

Newt and Thomas exchanged glances. "So whose do you think this is?" 

They looked at the letters, looking thoughtful. "It... You don't think it's Darius', do you? The writin' is so nice, and it sounds so... normal," Newt said, rereading some of the sentences. 

"It could be. I'm sure he wasn't always a complete whack job. And he's in charge, isn't he? It'd make sense if he had this little room all to himself." 

Newt turned the page. Half of the page was ripped off, the only words still there said; 

_We found fish already! It's only been a week and a half. But Julia is getting sea sick, I think. I'm a bit wor--_

It ended there. About seven other pages were torn out as well. They weren't able to read anything on those pages. And then there was the beginning of all the pages saying "Julia". Newt slowly closed the book. "Well okay then." 

"Woah, what's that?" Thomas asked, grabbing the book and flipping it over. On the back, carved into the smooth leather, it read: SHE GOT THE FLARE. 

Newt frowned deeply. "This is kinda messed up," he said, looking up at Thomas. 

Thomas nodded, running his fingers over the words. "Yeah, no kidding..." 

Newt turned and began yanking open drawers on the desk. They screeched in protest, having not been opened in a long, long time. Meanwhile Thomas wandered over to basket on the other side of the room. 

He blood ran cold. 

Inside it, a skeleton. 

A tiny skeleton. A baby's skeleton. 

"Tommy," Newt said slowly. 

Thomas turned to where Newt was holding an old picture. It was Darius, but Thomas almost didn't recognize him. His skin wasn't cracked and darkened from too much time out at sea. His hair was neatly brushed back, and his perfect, white teeth smiled widely. There was a pretty blonde woman with an arm wrapped around his waist, smiling just as big. And on other Darius' other side, held in his arm, a little baby with her face crossed out so many times the picture was torn. 

Thomas looked at the bones in the basket, fighting the urge to throw up. Newt walked over, but based on the look on his face, he already had an idea what was inside. He put a hand over his mouth, dropping the picture. 

Thomas swallowed down the bile at the back of his throat. "We should go." he said hoarsely. 

They half-ran out of there. Thomas jumped down, then helped Newt down. They took each other's hands and rushed far, far away from there. They didn't stop moving until they were back in their house. 

Thomas shut the door behind him, wishing there was a lock on it. 

Newt just sat on the bed, running his hands through his hair. 

"You can say it," Thomas said, still able to see that image of the remains of the baby in the back of his mind. 

"What?" Newt asked, looking at him, looking exhausted suddenly. 

"You were right. We shouldn't have gone in there." 


	44. Chapter Thirty-Seven- Idiots and a Game of Chicken

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, I'm doing this one too because tomorrow and the next day, I won't be able to update! My friend and I are going to Idaho to go swimming and hiking, and lots of fun stuff, then the next day we're having a Disney and pizza date XD I'm not getting back late to Sunday, but since I don't go to school anymore, I will be able to update anyways. 
> 
> ***I do not own the Maze Runner series or any of the characters***

"So." Newt started. "Darius had a baby." 

"Who died," Thomas added. 

"Of the Flare," Newt concluded. 

"That's messed up," Thomas said quietly. Now that the initial disgust, and, well, terror, was over, they were just left with all these thoughts and conflicting feelings. 

"So you think that's when he lost his mind? When she died?" Newt asked. They just lay side-by-side, staring up at the ceiling. 

"Most likely. And then he didn't try to get it back.." Thomas said, frowning a bit, thinking of the man in the picture, and the man now. It was sort of heartbreaking, and part of Thomas felt bad for him. But what happened to him, what happened to his daughter, didn't justify what he did now. What he let his men do to that Hunter, what he did to those poor girls, what he wanted to do to Newt. There was a soft spot in his heart for the poor man Darius, who lost his daughter, but he would kill him if he had to. 

Newt turned to face Thomas, resting a hand on Thomas' chest. "Would we ever be like that? If we lost Alex?" 

"Of course not," Thomas said, and, of course, Newt already knew the answer to that. "After all we've been through, we can handle anything." he said with a smile. "Besides, she's healthy and happy, and we're gonna keep it that way." 

Newt smiled and nodded. "You're right." 

Thomas looked out the window, it was already dark out. "We should get to bed," Thomas said. He felt so... off. Like something was sitting on his chest, he just wanted to sleep it off. 

Apparently Newt didn't agree because he climbed on Thomas and kissed him very suddenly. It was deep and passionate and urgent. Thomas was a bit worried, but he pulled away not to long after, holding Thomas' face. He looked upset. Thomas tried to ask what was wrong, but Newt spoke over him. "I'm really glad." 

Thomas just looked at him, quizzically. Newt sighed, placing his forehead against Thomas'. "That we didn't lose each other. It could've happened. So easily. Darius lost his wife, and then his baby, and he's so broken, and it just got me thinking about us." he took a breath, he hadn't taken one since he started talking. "And I'm glad. That we're here. That we were luckier than most." 

Thomas smiled a little, letting out a little chuckle of surprise. "I'm glad, too," he said, kissing him again. He pulled him down against him, then rolled him over so they were laying on their sides, facing each other. When they pulled away, he smiled a little. "Hey, guess what?"

Newt hummed. "Hmm?" 

"I get to sleep in tomorrow." 

Newt smirked. "I know. You drank poison, you deserve it," he said, nestling into the covers and making himself comfortable. 

They laid there in silence for a moment before Thomas spoke up again. 

"Do you think that was actually poison?" 

Newt just sighed. 

 

Thomas awoke, very happily, of his own accord. 

He did his usual morning routine, then went off to find Newt and Minho. Which he couldn't. Anywhere. He frowned, checking all over before finally rushing off to Victoria's. The door was open so he let himself in. "Hey, have you seen Newt and Minho?" 

Victoria smiled at him, and Alex clapped and laughed when he stepped inside. "Yeah, they went to collect flowers for the wedding tomorrow." 

"Tomorrow?!" Thomas sputtered. 

Victoria nodded, jumping up and giggling. "Yes! Jade wouldn't let Gally have a moments rest until he finished the alter! It's done!" 

Thomas smiled widely, but his heart still beat heavily and his hands felt stiff.  _We've been together for so long, yet I'm nervous... I'm such a loser._ "So... So this is really happening?" he asked, laughing slightly. Before it hadn't all sunk in, but now it was like a slap to the face of reality. He was going to marry him, he was going to marry his Newt. 

Victoria ran over and threw her arms around him. "Yes!" 

Thomas swallowed hard as he hugged her back.  _Am I supposed to be this nervous? I don't think so. I've been with him so long, it's not like there's anything to be nervous about, but I can barely breathe..._

Victoria giggled. "Nervous?" 

Thomas sat back on the bed, laughing. "Please tell me that's normal?" 

"Of course it is," she laughed, picking up Alex and sitting beside him. 

Alex reached for him a couple times, but he barely noticed her. He was just trying to remember how to breathe, and how to think properly. Victoria laughed and rubbed his back. "Excited?" 

"Very much!" he exclaimed, picking Alex up and holding her out in front of him, smiling at her. She smiled back and grossly drooled all over the place while making incoherent babbling. 

Thomas laughed a little. "Jeez," he said, wiping the drool off her face and sitting her down in his lap. 

"I think she's been trying to talk," Victoria said, moving her hair around lovingly. "And it sounds like she's trying to say 'dada'," she shot a playful glare at Thomas. "And that's you and New'ts fault." 

Thomas laughed. "There's no way she's gonna say that! Just wait, it's probably going to be something crazy like 'elephant' or something." 

Minho barged in, angry. Newt followed, rolling his eyes. Minho threw his flowers on the table, "There's all your stupid flowers!" he said, then proceeded to pout. 

Newt, again, rolled his eyes, placing his flowers on the table. "He got stabbed by the thorns on the roses cause he's an idiot." 

Minho shot Newt a dirty look. "I will push you down and laugh." 

"Minho, if you do that, I will fight you," Thomas interjected. 

Minho put his hands on his hips. "Fight me, then. Right now. On the cliff. Whoever gets pushed in the water first loses." 

"Fine." Thomas said, standing up. 

Newt and Victoria just stayed there for a moment watching them go. "Idiots." Victoria said. 

"Definitely." Newt said, "I should probably follow them, so I can help carry back whoever gets a broken leg." 

 

"That was not fair." 

Thomas sat there on the beach, soaking wet and pouting. Minho stood at the top of the cliff, laughing and shouting like an idiot about being the king of the cliff. Newt just sat on his heels beside Thomas, patting his back. "My hero." he said sarcastically. 

Thomas grinned a little. "What would you do without me?" 

"Shove Minho into the ocean," Newt replied without missing a beat. 

Thomas laughed. "Oh yeah? Do it, I dare you." 

Newt rolled his eyes. Thomas watched as he casually walked over and up the cliff. Then just walked up right behind Minho and shoved Minho into the water. Thomas just sat there. Today was not a good day for his dignity. 

Minho flailed around and carried on for a minute before laughing. "Now you come in!" 

Newt just giggled, shrugged, and jumped right in. 

Thomas laughed and watched him come back up. The first thing Newt did every time he was in water was smooth his hair back, then rubbed his eyes, then opened them. Every time, without fail. He swam over to Thomas, wrapping his arms around him, huffing. Newt liked swimming and all, but his leg made it a bit hard on him. Thomas turned around so he could get on his back. 

"Oh my gosh!" 

Jade stood there, laughing. Gally was, of course, following her around like he had no idea what else to do with his life. Gally shook his head. "Idiots." 

Gally immediately blushed when Jade threw off her shirt, leaving her in only her shorts and bra and went running in like an idiot with them. Minho smirked. "Ha! We stole your girlfriend." 

Jade swam behind Minho. "Lemme on!" 

Minho obeyed, looking somewhat dumbfounded when she climbed onto his shoulders. Gally looked like his head was going to explode. "Come on, Newt!" she laughed. 

Newt looked around, confused. "What?" 

"You guys don't know this game?" Jade asked. 

"Nope, not at all," Thomas answered, not seeing how this was a game. 

"It's Chicken! Get on Thomas' shoulders, and then you and I try to push each other down, and they have to try and keep us up." Jade explained, giggling at their dumbfounded faces. 

Thomas went under to make it easier for Newt to crawl onto his shoulders. Newt gripped his head nervously. "We're gonna die like this." 

"Probably," Thomas replied. 

Minho laughed. " _You two_ are gonna die!" he said, rushing over. 

Thomas, of course, had to be better than Minho. He had no idea what was happening overhead, but he continually spit water in Minho's face. Thomas stumbled when Newt fell off him. Jade and Minho cheered. Minho threw his arms up in victory, sending Jade flying off him. Newt came up, gasped, smoothed his hair, wiped his eyes and opened them. He laughed. "That girl's too tough for me." 

Thomas noticed Gally just awkwardly standing there. "Get in here before your girlfriend sits on someone else!" 

Jade giggled. "What? You don't want to hang out with us idiots?" 

Gally smiled, rushing inside. Minho laughed. "Yay, now we're all idiots." 

Jade smirked. "Now it's time for ultimate Chicken! Newt and Gally versus Tommy and Minho!" 

Before Thomas could object, Minho was jumping on his head, drowning on him. He came up coughing, almost falling with the weight on his shoulders. "Oh my God, get off me, you fatass!" 

"it's not  _fat,_ it's  _muscle,_ Thomas. Get some!" 

Thomas finally steadied, and Newt was already on Gally's shoulders. Thomas had an odd spike of jealousy. Both from his fiance being on Gally's shoulders, and because Gally got such a light person on his shoulders. Minho pointed forward. "Go forth! I need to keep my winning streak! Gonna take Newty down!" 

The thing about Gally was he was solid and strong, always been a builder. Always been tough. Always been like trying to shove a tree over. So it wasn't that surprising when Gally was solid enough to not only keep Newt balanced on him, but use both his hands to shove Thomas and take him and Minho down. 

When Thomas came back up, he gasped. "Not fair!" he laughed. 

Gally disappeared under the water to let Newt off him. He came back up looking rather confident. "I'd say it's fair." 

 

Victoria sat on the beach, Alex at her side, watching them argue about how it was  _totally_ cheating that Gally shoved Thomas. She giggled, shaking her head, watching them. Despite everything, despite all they'd been through, they really didn't let it take away their stupid, youthful days. 

A spark ignited in her chest and she looked at Alex.  _If they can live a normal, good life, then so can you._

A particularly high-pitched squeal escaped Minho as Gally jumped on him, taking him under. Victoria shook her head, grinning. "Stupid, young idiots. Aren't they?" 

She looked at Alex, who just babbled in response. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Started off a bit heavy, but ended a bit goofy. I figured this would be a nice chapter, since after this is the wedding, and then various other things that are not so nice. So! Consider this a nice little break from any super important plot points :)


	45. Chapter Thirty-Eight- Somehow

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> My lovlies! I just wanna start by saying: BRACE YOURSELVES. THIS CHAPTER IS LOOOONNNGGG. 
> 
> I should be sleeping, I got home so late, but... Update!! Gosh, I had such an awesome weekend. So much food, so much swimming, so much Disney, and just so much fun, I won't even go into detail or else this note will be longer than the chapter, haha! 
> 
> And while I had an amazing weekend, I am so pumped to be updating. On the first night, as I was falling asleep, I finally came up with the ending for this. I had several ideas for it, but it suddenly struck me while I was trying to sleep! (that's when all my creativity comes out... not the best time), I even wrote it down!! Ah! So excited! 
> 
> Anyway. I rambled... Oops! ***I do NOT own the Maze Runner series or any of the characters!***

The sunset was always the most relaxing time of day. 

The colors are becoming mellow, beautiful smears of pinks and oranges. Staring out at the sunset, or even just being in its presence, was probably one of the most calming experiences. 

Not today. 

"What if I trip?" 

"Then you'll get back up," Victoria answered smoothly. 

"What if I mess up what I'm gonna say?" 

"No big deal." 

"What if I forget all of it?" 

"Oh please, you've been studying all day." 

"But what if!?" 

"Then say whatever comes to heart, that's all that matters!" 

"Okay... Okay, but what if I completely miss his lips when we kiss in front of everybody?" 

"Then you'd have to be pretty stupid, Thomas." 

Thomas threw his hands up. "That could totally happen!" he sighed, leaning back on Victoria's bed, staring at the ceiling. "Why do Newt and I have to stay away from each other until the ceremony anyway?" 

Victoria plopped back on her back as well, following Thomas' stare to the ceiling. "Because it makes it more special, and, like, emotional and stuff when you see each other."

"But... We're walking down the aisle together, so." 

"So nothing!" 

"... Victoria, you do know that he and I woke up together this morning, right? In the same bed and everything." Thomas teased. 

Victoria rolled her eyes. "Yeah, yeah." she smirked. "Excited to finally get naughty? Because I'm sure you boys were both perfect angels and waited until marriage, of course," she said mockingly. 

Thomas laughed. "Oh yeah, definitely haven't done that before..." he said sarcastically. 

They both laughed for a moment.  _Dang, she really does have a way with calming me down._

"An hour and a half, Thomas, you ready?" 

Thomas took in a deep breath. "Yes," he said, though his rapid heart betrayed him. 

Victoria sat up. "Maybe you should go for a walk or something," she said, looking almost sympathetic. "You're not gonna calm down, not when you're about to get married, but hey, it might help some. Enough to make sure you don't go sprinting into the woods to never be seen again." 

Thomas sat up. "That won't happen." he said surely. "I'm nervous  _because_ I've been waiting and wanting this for so long." 

Victoria patted his leg. "Well, go take a walk anyway. I need to wake Alex up from her nap and feed her, then I'm setting everything up, so I can't keep sitting here and telling you what to do if you screw up," she said with a smirk. 

Thomas grinned, nodding a bit. A walk, all by himself, out in the woods, actually sounded amazing. He stood, kissed the sleeping Alex's head, then turned and waved after saying goodbye to Victoria. 

Thomas wandered straight into the woods, hands in pockets. He smiled, sighing contently. Today was the day, it was finally happening. He sat down by the base of a Weeping Willow tree, staring off. Staring through. 

He could see the them together, back in the Maze. Marriage was nothing more than a distant, distant thought. They were too focused on getting out, on staying alive, and somehow managing to keep their relationship. 

He remembered with perfect clarity when he and Newt were in the bathroom, after getting Newt back from the Crank Palace. Thomas was standing behind him, hands wrapped around him. They both spoke to each other with their reflections. Thomas had asked him to marry him then. Jokingly, partly. But if Newt had said yes, he would've considered themselves "married". And why not? As far as they knew, the world was falling apart and they were going to fall with it. 

But Newt turned him down. And Thomas smiled, relieved that he had. It made this much more special. 

Thomas sighed happily, plucking a little, white flower from the ground and staring at it. Thinking about everything with Newt, from day one to now. Slowly, considering it, feeling it all over again. 

Crunching footsteps sounded through the woods, and Thomas jumped to his feet, ready to fight. 

Brenda froze, putting her hands up just a bit. "Gee, settle down there, street fighter," she said, approaching now that she saw Thomas calm down. "Just wanted to see how you were feeling." 

Thomas plopped back down, staring off. "I'm feeling a lot." 

"Scared?" Brenda asked, sitting beside him. 

"So much," he answered. 

"Chickening out?" 

"No way." 

Brenda didn't say anything after that. She hugged her knees to her chest. She looked unhappy, and Thomas had a feeling he knew why. "You love me." 

Brenda glanced at him, and shrugged slightly. Thomas sighed. "Why?..." 

"I don't know," Brenda said, staring off. "I fell for you way back then, and that was it..." 

"Newt and I were together back then, too." 

Brenda glanced up at him. "I know." 

Thomas sighed a bit. He wasn't necessarily mad at her. If he and Newt had never gotten together, Thomas was sure he'd be just as in love with him as he was now. Even if he got nothing from him. And that must've been what Brenda felt. If anything, it made Thomas feel a bit bad. Not guilty; he'd never feel guilty for being with Newt, but definitely bad. 

"You should give one of those other boys your time of day, Brenda," Thomas said firmly, glancing at her. "I know you don't like them now, but you could, in time."

Brenda nodded. "I know..." she glanced at him from the corner of her eye. "I just... need to let you go, I suppose." 

"It hasn't seemed to be bothering you too much since we got here," Thomas suggested. 

"We're not always attached at the hip anymore, of course it seemed like I was over it," she said with a sigh. "And don't think I'm bitter to Newt or anything, or that you don't love me, or anything like that. I just really, really wish you did. But I know what's best for you, and I know what--who--makes you happy." 

Thomas smiled a bit. "Well... Thank you." 

Brenda looked at him, taking in a deep breath. "I just," she started, mumbling softly. "Really need to let you go," she said, whispering by the time she was done. 

Thomas glanced aside, getting ready to speak, when she kissed him. 

For a moment, Thomas froze. He honestly couldn't believe it, at all. He was beyond shocked she would do this, today, of all days. Now, after all this time... When he snapped out of it, and tried to pull away, she leaned forward a bit. Thomas grabbed her by the arms and separated them. "What are you doing!?" he spat, jumping up and backing away. 

She looked a bit shocked, then she blushed and looked away, staying where she sat. "I... I don't know. I guess. Goodbye. Not-not to you, just... My feelings to you?" 

Thomas was pretty damn pissed off she had done that, that she would do that at all, but something calmed. He supposed that if that was goodbye, it wasn't terrible. If that was all she wanted for her to be able to truly move on, then he could live with that. Again, he imagined himself in her shoes, if Newt hadn't loved him. It made it somewhat understandable. 

Thomas wiped his mouth, looking around. No one was around. 

"Don't tell Newt," Brenda said, standing. 

Thomas glanced at her. "Yeah, I didn't plan to. He doesn't need to know this. This was... This was just you saying goodbye. It was your goodbye to me, and I promise to keep it secret. I won't tell anyone what you did," he said, smiling a bit. If he had been her, he would've wanted to keep this private, too. 

She nodded, taking his hand, giving it a squeeze. She smiled, her eyes a bit glossy. "I'll see you in half an hour?"

Thomas nodded. 

She released him and rushed off. He watched her go, sighing a bit. He imagined he would tell Newt soon, probably a week or a month later. He wasn't good at keeping anything from Newt. In fact, this time, he was pretty sure he shouldn't keep it from him, but he knew that would just make him upset. And this was his wedding day, too. He couldn't do that to him. 

So instead, he just brushed off his pants, and headed to Victoria's. 

 

"If you two think you are wearing those clothes, you're insane." 

Newt and Thomas stood in Victoria's house, glancing at each other's clothes. "What's wrong with 'em?" Newt asked. 

Victoria shook her head. "You've been wearing them all day. And Newt, there's a rip in the knee of your pants..." 

Newt looked down at his leg, letting out a laugh of surprise. "Oh woah, there is!"

Thomas laughed while Victoria facepalmed. 

Victoria dragged them to their house. As she did, Thomas watched Gally cursing and complaining as he and some other Builders were moving the alter out to the designated spot. It looked just as amazing as Victoria's drawing. 

Victoria did some rummaging through their clothes once they arrived. She tossed Thomas and Newt clean, non-ripped jeans, and Newt a white T-Shirt, and Thomas a black one. Newt held up the white T-Shirt. "What's this supposed to mean?" 

"That you're my bride," Thomas said, grinning smugly. 

Newt smacked him with the shirt, threatening to strangle him with it, yet he was laughing. Not very intimidating. Victoria clapped her hands, getting their attention. "Change, children!" she laughed. 

Once they had, and were beginning to get ready to head out, a knock came from their door. Minho and Jacob stood there. Minho held out his hands, "Rings," he demanded. As they were handing them over, Jacob walked over to them. Sheepishly, he pulled two small little flower-bracelets from his pocket. "I made these for you guys." 

Newt smiled as Jacob put them in his hand. "Thank you," he said, kneeling down and hugging him. 

Thomas ruffled up his hair. "Seriously, thank you."

Shy little Jacob rushed out. Victoria darted over, taking the bracelets. They were white and yellow flowers held together by a thin thread. Victoria smiled, slipping them onto Thomas and Newt's right hands. "That's so precious... Maybe these should be a part of the ceremony from now on." 

Newt smiled, turning it around on his wrist. "Not a bad idea." 

Victoria peeked out the window, smiling approvingly. "Ready boys?" 

Thomas and Newt exchanged glances. Something in Thomas' heart fluttered madly when he saw that familiar spark in Newt's eyes. Thomas smiled widely. "Yeah, I think we are." 

 

It really was just as beautiful as her drawing. 

The candles cast a beautiful, subtle light on everything. The alter was decorated with its flowers, the petals lined the way and sat all around the guests. Minho just stood at the end of the alter, hands in his pockets. It looked like he was trying to keep himself from crossing his arms, as he usually did. 

They stood there at the end of the aisle, holding hands. Everyone was looking at them. It was a bit embarrassing, but Thomas didn't really mind. Newt, on the other hand, looked a bit awkward. Thomas nudged him slightly, getting his attention. Beautiful eyes. Had they always been so beautiful? 

Newt just smiled a bit, looking a bit better. 

Once the last of the people had taken their seats, they walked forward. Jade was already crying, of course. She clung to Gally's arm, who just gave a little smile. Victoria held Alex, and Alex giggled and waved. Jorge and Cynthia sat with Joey between them, smiling. And beside them, Brenda. She smiled. And though it was a bit sad, she looked happy for them. 

Thomas glanced away from them, and at Newt. He still seemed a bit embarrassed; he didn't like this much attention. But he looked fantastic, as always. 

When they reached the alter, Minho smiled at them, elbowing Thomas quite unprofessionally. "So let's get this thing started, huh?" 

So professional. 

Minho cleared his throat, ready to recite whatever words Victoria had beat into his head. He held out the rings flat in the palm of his hand. Thomas and Newt already knew what to do here; again, Victoria knew how she wanted this to go, and she made sure they knew too. 

Thomas took Newt's ring from Minho's hand, taking his hand and carefully sliding it on. Newt did the same for him. They smiled at each other, and Thomas' heart skipped another beat. He was half convinced he was going to die if that happened again. 

Minho nodded, thinking for a moment, then continuing when he remembered what he was supposed to say: "Newt, Thomas, you may say your vows," he said, motioning to Newt. 

Newt blushed deeply, glancing aside at the people. Thomas waited for Newt to look back at him, and when he did, Thomas smiled at him reassuringly. Newt returned it, relaxing. He cleared his throat, taking one of Thomas' hands. "I'm not so good at talking about this kinda thing, but I do think about it often, so I think I can manage to say a couple things," he said, and the way he said it, Thomas almost forgot there were others. It seemed like a normal conversation, between just them. And by the look on Newt's face, he must've forgotten about the others too. "We've come so bloody far. And honestly, I didn't think we'd make it this far. And especially not in a place like this. But what I can say for sure is this; I love you just as much now as I did when it was hard, when we were constantly struggling just to survive. Now that we're safe, I still love you just as much as when we weren't. Now that we're happy, I love you just as much as when we were pretty messed up. Now that there's babies runnin' around, I love you just as much as when there were crazed lunatics trying to kill us," he laughed a little, glancing up at him. "I guess, what I'm trying to say is... That no matter how hard it was, I always loved you. And I still love you just as much, and even if, suddenly, we had to live the way we had before... I'd still love you just as much as I do now. No matter what happens to us, or what has happened to us, it's never going to distract me from how much I love you. No matter any amount of fear or struggle or anger could ever dim my love for you at all. It never has. I'm going to love you with all of me, Tommy. It's the only thing I know how to do," he smiled at him, shrugging a little. "That's all I could think to say." 

Thomas' heart was beating loud, rushing in his ears. He didn't hear the others when they clapped for Newt's little speech, but he heard the small and embarrassed giggle Newt did under his breath. He didn't see any of them, just the way Newt's eyes searched Thomas' face, the way he bit his lips, the way he smiled. 

"Alright Thomas, you go." 

Thomas swallowed down the emotion swelling in his throat, nodding a bit. He took a moment to compose himself, before taking both of Newt's hand. "I, uh. I guess I have never really believed in fate or destiny or something like that. But I think we were meant to find each other..." he hestiated, getting a bit psyched out, but when he looked at Newt, smiling warmly at him, he continued without any hesitance. "I think there was some sort of force out there that pushed for us to be together, no matter what. And no, not fate. Something else. Something  _just_ for us. The universe recognized just us two," he smiled, "and it knew the world wouldn't be right without us together." he smiled, bringing one of Newt's hands to his lips, kissing it softly, then speaking against it. "I noticed you from the moment I saw you. And I needed you so fast it made my head spin. I can still remember the way my heart would beat so hard when you were in any sort of trouble," he laughed a little. "I think I would've had a heart attack if I hadn't been so busy trying to get you safe again," he said with a little laugh, making Newt do the same. "And now here we are. I had always wanted something like this, and we got it. We were lucky enough to get it," he squeezed his hands, "we were lucky enough to have us. And I want you to know, I count your breaths when you sleep. I never take a single one for granted... And when you smile, I etch it into my head. I would forget everything else if it only meant to remember a moment of you. Every time I hear your heart beat, I think of how I would give all the beats left in mine to you, if only I could. You are everything I've ever wanted or needed, and I have you. So I will never, ever take any part of you for granted, okay?" 

People clapped, shocking Thomas back to life. He had forgotten about them. 

Newt just smiled, hanging his head a bit. His cheeks were pink and his eyes were glossy. Thomas smiled, pressing his forehead against Newt's. 

"You shanks can kiss now." 

Thomas smiled. It couldn't be said any better. 

Thomas grabbed Newt's face, tilting his head back, kissing him deeply and passionately. He tried to convey to him how much he meant it, how he'd never take anything for granted, and he never had. And by the way Newt kissed him back, Thomas guessed Newt felt the exact same way. When they pulled away, they were reminded once again that there were other people there. They giggled against each other's lips, claps and cheers all around them. 

Victoria walked up with the flowers from each of the guest. Using a ribbon, she tied two separate bouquets, handing one to Newt, and one to Thomas. Thomas looked over the random assortment of colors and shapes. It was beautiful. Even after they had long died off, he'd keep this. 

Victoria was, of course, teary-eyed. There were trails of dried tears on her face, and Thomas laughed a little. She really was a blessing. She sniffled, wiping her eyes. "I'm so proud," she whispered, then composed herself. "Ready for the next part?" 

 

Somehow, Victoria managed to keep things organized. 

Everyone got food, and some of the strawberry cake the Cooks had made. It wasn't much, of course. Just the actual cake body with strawberries inside it and on the top. But it was more than Thomas had expected. A chill had come with the night air, so they moved to the cafeteria. Candles on every table, flowers hanging from the walls. The tables had been rearranged. One in the very front, another separate one behind that, then the rest in rows behind. The one in the very front would be where people would stand and say some words about them, if they so wished. The next table, covered in different color flower petals, were where Thomas and Newt would sit to watch and listen. Everyone else behind them. 

"How is she this good at organizing all this?..." Newt whispered as they went and sat, poking at a petal. 

"I don't know, but I'm glad we let her organize this," Thomas said, laughing. 

Newt laughed, nodding. "If we had done it, this place would look no different, except maybe a flower." 

Thomas laughed, "That, or Minho would've been in charge of it." 

They considered it for a moment, both shaking their head at the same time. Newt rested his head on Thomas' shoulder. "We're gonna have to thank Victoria later..." 

Thomas nodded. "Of course." 

Minho stood on the table. "Hey!" he shouted. "Would you all shut up!?" when the building had gone quiet, he nodded, putting his hands on his hips. "Good, cause I'm gonna talk about these two now, so listen up." he cleared his throat. "These two have been grossing me out for a long time. They've also made me mad as can be. They've also made me cry over them. They've made me love them so much, and they've made me so happy." his usual smug smirk fell into a genuine, warm smile. His voice became softer. "You two are my best friends. I wouldn't be here if it wasn't for you two. I almost lost Newt once, before Tommy showed up. And after that, I felt like I was walking on eggshells," his smile fell, "I didn't want to break him. He had become so shut down, so fragile... Even when he was back on his feet again, he wasn't as bright." he smiled again. "And then, that ugly shank shows up in the box, screws everything up, and my genius best friend thinks 'hey, this guy is ruining our entire way of life, why not fall for him?'. And then bad news crawls out of the box and decides he's in love with Newt." he sighed a bit, a smile on his face, softening a bit again. "And then, all of a sudden, I wasn't walking on eggshells around Newt anymore. And then I didn't remember him being sad, because that stupid shank had made him  _so happy_. And now... I just hope they keep grossing me out for a long time." 

Thomas had to admit, that one hit him with quite the emotion. He caught Newt wiping his eyes from the corner of his eye. Thomas reached over and took Newt's hand, and Newt just smiled at him. Suddenly, Thomas felt like he was more than just another person. That look on Newt's face... it was enough to convince Thomas he was so much more in Newt's eyes, more than anybody else saw. 

All the speeches were amazing. 

Gally spoke briefly of how much he had hated Thomas, but Thomas still convinced Gally to come with them. And that despite everything, Thomas kept him close. He said that it was almost instant, the moment they were just the best of friends. The moment they were safe, the moment they could breathe, they were friends. And he talked about how happy he was for them now. 

Jade was a puddle of tears, but managed to tell them how grateful she was that she met them, and how much it means to her that she had watched them and their relationship grow for as long as she has. 

Jorge spoke as well, talking about how much he loved them, even though he really tried not to get attached. And how much he tried to deny that he cared about their relationship. But in the end, he was there, speaking at their wedding, and fighting tears. 

Brenda spoke. It seemed rehearsed, just a basic speech. All the ways she really felt, of course, she kept to herself. But the emotion in her eye was enough for Thomas to know she cared, and that she loved them. 

Victoria spoke, of course. Going on and on about how much she needed them, how much she owed them, all they'd done for her, and how much she loved them, just so much. Such a sweet, sweet woman. 

A handful of others spoke. Thomas barely knew half of them, admittedly. But everyone knew Newt, so of course they spoke. It took hours and hours. Even with her nap previously, Alex had already fallen asleep again. When they were finished, there were cheers and claps and tears. Thomas leaned forward as they walked out, leaving the noise of celebration behind them. "This was great, but I can't wait to get home and just have some time with you," he whispered. 

Newt nodded. 

 

Somehow, they did manage to get home. 

The moment that door shut behind them, everyone left them alone. Which was good, because Thomas grabbed Newt by the shoulders, pinning him against the door and kissing him deeply. He tossed their bouquets on the nightstand, gently removed their bracelets and left them there too, all while never breaking the kiss. As he had always wanted to do on their wedding night, he scooped Newt up bridal style, only then breaking the kiss. 

Newt squeaked, giggling and wrapping his arms around Thomas' shoulders. "What on earth are you doing?!" 

"Carrying you through the threshold, duh." 

"But we're already inside." 

Thomas paused. "... Pretend there's another threshold." 

Newt laughed. "Okay. Now carry me through it!" 

Thomas took a dramatic step forward, then rushed to the bed, dropping him on there. Newt didn't even have a chance to sit up before Thomas was on him again, pinning him down and kissing him. Then he moved away, kissing his jaw, then his neck... 

Newt squirmed. "Wait, stop."

Thomas pulled back immediately, looking over Newt's face, concerned. "What's wrong?" 

"I wanted to... To tell you something else." he said, blushing deeply, glancing away. "Something... Private." 

Thomas nodded, grabbing Newt's face and making him look him in the eyes. "Tell me." 

Newt grabbed Thomas' face. "I wanted to tell you that... That when I tried to kill myself, before you showed up, I hated everything. I hated the air I breathed, the ground I walked on, the situation we were in, and mostly, I hated me. I hated that I was stuck, I hated that I had to hurt all the time, and always be afraid... So when I lived, I was disappointed. And while I was healing, I wanted nothing more than to do it again..." his voice trailed for a moment before his eyes unsurely flicked to Thomas. "And then you showed up, and decided to walk right into my life like you owned the place. I guess someone had to. And it was so soon, that suddenly, I didn't feel that way anymore. Suddenly the ground was solid, the air was clean, our situation was fixable, and I was... I was alive. And that was okay." he smiled, tears welling in his eyes. Thomas felt his own, but he remained silent, holding his breath. "And I just... I thought this was more intimate, and just for us. So yeah, I just wanted to tell you that... I like me better when I'm with you. I like me when I'm with you. I like who I've become because of you, and that was something I had never thought possible," he laughed a little, pressing their foreheads together. "I love you, Tommy." 

Those last four words had never struck Thomas so hard. His tears finally did fall. They'd been collecting all night, even more so with all Newt just said. He didn't try to stop them, either. Instead, he pushed all of Newt's hair back, nodded, and whispered, "I love you too, Newt. I love you more than anything," and he kissed him, deeply. 

His heart was full, he was full it'd burst. 

And yet, somehow, as their night progressed, so slow, just the two of them. So soft and patient,  _somehow_ , Thomas fell more in love with him. With his husband. Yet again, Newt had made the impossible possible. 

And  _somehow_ Thomas' heart didn't burst. Somehow. 


	46. Chapter Thirty-Nine- Newt's Right-Handed

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here's a quick little update, lovelies! 
> 
> There will be another one later on today! :D   
> ***I do NOT own The Maze Runner series or any of the characters!***

Thomas awoke to Newt, lightly shaking him awake.

"Wakey, wakey, it's time to go," he said, kissing Thomas' nose. Thomas caught him before he could turn away, stealing an actual kiss. "Hey guess what." 

Newt laughed a little. "What?" 

Thomas wrapped his arms around him, yanking Newt on top of him. "You're my husband," he hummed, kissing Newt's ear, squeezing him. 

Newt giggled, nuzzling Thomas' neck. "And you're mine." 

Thomas let up just enough for Newt to sit on him. Thomas pressed his left hand against Newt's. Their rings looked very natural together.Thomas smiled at them. Consider it selfish, but he quite enjoyed the fact that he and Newt got to have these rings. He was in too good of a mood to feel bad for those who would never get to have a ring. Though, he did still feel grateful to Victoria. He and Newt would love enough for themselves, and for Victoria and her lost fiance. 

They sat there for a moment, admiring their hands pressed together. Finally, Newt was the first to pull away, poking Thomas' side. "Come on, we've got to get going." 

Thomas groaned. "Let's have a honeymoon. Right here, in bed, for about five years."

Newt laughed, crawling off of Thomas and the bed and going to collect their bathing stuff. "Oh sure," he replied sarcastically. 

Thomas sighed. "Fine, fine. Four years." 

Newt laughed, "Tommy!" 

Thomas grinned. "Okay," he said, rolling out of bed. He walked over, putting his arm around Newt as they walked out. "But what about three years?" 

Newt slapped Thomas' stomach, it was oddly affectionate. "Oh shush." 

As they walked by, Brenda was standing, talking with one of the many people who had tried to get a chance with her in the past. Thomas grinned and went on his way. 

  
"This is so boring." 

"I feel like I'm dying..." 

"Both of you, shut up," Newt snapped at Thomas and Minho who had been complaining quite a bit. 

They just stood at their disguised Supply House, listening as some boys listed off all the items inside. Thomas huffed. He supposed it was important, but why not just make a list of what's inside for them to read instead of saying them all, and pointing out where they were, even though they could see the items right in front of them. 

"Dude." Minho whispered. "I bet if we snuck out and waited outside, Newt wouldn't notice." 

They both began backing out. At first, Thomas thought Newt wouldn't notice, but suddenly he snapped his fingers. "Don't even think about it." 

They both groaned and waited, though they would rather die. 

When they long, slow, boring meeting was over, they walked outside. Minho let out a long sigh of relief. "Newt, how did you actually listen to that? I was ready to die." 

Newt gave him a look. "Well. It's our job to know, so." 

Minho laughed a little. "Well it's a good think  _you_ were paying attention, then," he said, nudging Thomas' arm. "Cause neither of us were." 

Thomas glared at him. "Why do you gotta drag me down with you?" 

Newt laughed. "Don't sweat it, Tommy, it was obvious you weren't listening, either." 

Thomas grinned. Before he could say anything else, two Hunters jogged up to them. "Hey, Newt," one of them began. "Can we talk to you?"

Newt nodded. "Sure, what's goin' on?" 

The other one glanced at Minho and Thomas. "Um. Alone?" 

Newt looked a bit confused, but he nodded a little. He walked off with the Hunters, just a couple feet away, far enough that they couldn't hear them though. "What's that all about?" Thomas asked. 

Minho shrugged. "Maybe they're trying to convince Newt to finally divorce your sorry butt and run off with them." 

"We got married yesterday." 

Minho shook his head. "It's a miracle it's lasted this long." 

Thomas laughed, glancing over at Newt and the Hunters. They were both looking at Thomas, and when Newt looked over his shoulder, right at Thomas, he didn't exactly look happy. Not really upset either, just... off. Maybe even confused. Minho frowned. "Oh, hey, what's that look about?" 

"I have no idea," Thomas said, concerned. 

The Hunters nodded and said their farewells, shot Thomas a look, then jogged off. Newt stood there for a moment, then turned and walked back over to them. "What's going on?" Thomas asked as soon as he walked over. 

Newt glanced at Minho. "Can I talk to Thomas alone for a minute." 

_Thomas? That's not a good sign._

Minho sighed heavily. "All this alone talking is getting lame," he muttered, turning and walking away. 

"What is it?" Thomas asked again. 

Newt cleared his throat, putting his hands on his hips. He stared off thoughtfully for a moment, looking like he was fighting back a wall of emotions. And not good ones either, he looked like he was trying to keep himself from getting mad. "You kissed her?" 

A pang of terror gripped Thomas. He hesitated, and that was enough. Newt shook his head, suddenly looking very, very upset, but still trying to hold back the rage Thomas could see bubbling inside him. "So they weren't lying then?" Newt asked, sounding agitated, looking up at Thomas. "You kissed her?  _Yesterday?_ On our wedding day?" 

Thomas shook his head. "No! Well... Yes, but-"  

"Why!?" Newt shouted, glaring at him. "Second thoughts?" 

"What!? No-" 

"Shut up!" Newt shouted, then took in a deep breath, rubbing the side of his head, calming himself. "I can't stand listening to your voice right now," he muttered under his breath, the words like a gunshot, right in his chest. No, Thomas had been shot before, and this was _definitely_ worse. 

"Newt, let me explain-" 

"Save it," he snapped coldly, glaring at him. He shook his head, looking around, like he was trying to find some answer there. He looked at Thomas again, looking even madder. "On our  _wedding day_? They said you didn't pull away right away. Is that true?" 

"Newt, just let me-" 

" _Is that true?_ " 

Thomas swallowed the need to vomit out an explanation. And actually vomit. "Yes." 

In a split second, Newt smacked Thomas across the face. Hard. Definitely harder than he ever had. Thomas put a hand to his face where it stung miserably. He could feel a sharp pain amongst the rest of it, where his ring had hit his face. 

Newt was right-handed. He hit him with his left hand on purpose... 

Newt turned and stormed off as his eyes began filling. Thomas briefly tried reaching for him, but Newt smacked his hand away. So instead, Thomas just stood there, rubbing his face, willing the pain away. 

Not the pain on his face, of course. That was nothing compared to the ache in his chest. 

_This is bad._


	47. Chapter Forty- Getting Better and Getting Worse

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh, my lovlies. The reactions I am getting from the previous chapter were exactly what I was hoping XD 
> 
> Just hold on, my dears. We all know I love the angst... And I also sort of love torturing you all with it <3 ***I do NOT own The Maze Runner series or any of the characters!***

"... And then he smacked me and stormed off." 

Victoria nodded a bit, bouncing Alex who sat on her lap, staring off. "Well, just tell him what you told us! He'll understand. What it sounds like is that he thinks you kissed her, but I'm sure if he knows the situation, he'll understand." she said, sitting at one of the chairs at her table, which she turned to face Thomas, who was sitting on the edge of her bed. 

"Yeah. Newt's pissed off, but he's not unreasonable." Minho chimed in, leaned against the wall beside Victoria. 

Thomas sighed, putting his head in his hands. "He won't listen to me. He's so mad he can barely stand to look at me, much less let me talk to him..." 

"Well..." Minho thought for a moment. "Have you told Brenda what happened? Maybe she could talk to him." 

Thomas laughed humorlessly, looking up at Minho. "Are you kidding? If he so much as sees her, he'll lose his mind. He used to be like that before when she liked me, can you imagine how it'd be now that we're married?" 

Victoria nodded. "I'm with Thomas on this one. Not to mention, if you had someone else go talk to him, it'd just make him madder anyways." 

Thomas sighed heavily. "I feel like I really messed up." 

"You didn't," Victoria assured. "It wasn't your fault." 

"I should've said something quicker instead of just standing there like an idiot. Now he thinks some guys caught me cheating on him on our damn wedding day. And he thinks that  _I_ kissed  _her._ And I didn't tell him yesterday because I didn't want to upset him... I was going to tell him." Thomas muttered, feeling weaker the more he spoke. The pain had long since faded, but it was like Thomas could still feel it. Newt had smacked him many times, but it was never that aggressive. It was never very hard, and he usually did it because Thomas had worried him or something of that sort. But that time it was different. He hit hard, he even hit him with his ring-hand--he was striking Thomas out of blind rage. Thomas had never seen Newt so mad. And so hurt. 

Thomas couldn't even imagine being in his place. To have just gotten married, and to hear from random people that they saw your husband making out with someone in the woods... And for your husband to then to just stand there, looking caught... 

Victoria and Minho exchanged worried glances, not sure what to say. 

"So when are you going to try to talk to him again?" Minho asked finally. 

"A little while," Thomas said. "I should probably let him cool down a bit." 

Minho nodded, then smiled and shrugged. "Hey, at least this time, you guys aren't separated in the Scorch." 

Thomas laughed a little. "You're right about that one." 

Victoria didn't seem to really get it, but she smiled, regardless. 

Thomas looked out the window and sighed. He'd fix this. Every couple got into fights over misunderstandings. This would be over in no time. 

 

"Get out." 

"Awe, Newt, come on..." 

Newt glared at him furiously. "I said get out," he snapped when Thomas tried to get closer to him. Newt sat on the bed, looking at him expectantly, waiting for him to leave. 

Thomas sighed. "If you'd just let me talk to you--" 

"I don't want to talk to you!" Newt snapped. "I want you to get out!" 

"Then you don't have to talk, just listen!" 

Newt looked like he was considering it, then just shook his head. "No. I want you to go." at least now, he didn't sound like he was ready to smack Thomas across the face again. But he definitely didn't sound happy still. 

Thomas looked at him sadly. "You want me to spend the night somewhere else tonight?" 

Newt spun the ring on his finger. "... I think so." 

"Newt, I didn't cheat on you, I-" 

"Thomas."  _Please stop calling me that._ "Just go." 

Thomas stood, frowning deeply. He looked so sad and angry and betrayed. If he'd just let Thomas explain... "I love you." 

Newt just nodded, but he didn't say anything. 

Thomas wandered outside, shutting the door behind him. 

And for the first time since they'd been in this place, he felt utterly lost. 

He sank his hands in his pockets and walked to Minho's place.  _I can't believe I won't be sleeping next to Newt tonight..._ With another sigh, he knocked on Minho's door. Minho opened it, looking surprised. "Uh. What's up?" 

Thomas huffed. "Newt kicked me out." 

Minho rolled his eyes, opening the door all the way. "It's your house too, ya know." 

"I know, but I don't want him being even more mad at me. I don't mind giving him the space, so long as he starts to be less mad at me..." Thomas said, walking inside. 

Of course, it was a mess. Clothes and chairs in random places. Thomas was a bit amused. Minho threw a pillow and blanket at him. Thomas made a bed on the floor and Minho hopped on his bed. "Ya know, you should just storm in there, put your hand over his mouth and explain real quick. Maybe kiss him quiet, lots of the girls I was with loved that." 

Thomas rolled his eyes. "Yeah, well he's not a girl. If I even tried to do something like that, he wouldn't have any of that. He kick my ass." 

Minho thought it over, then nodded. "Yeah, he probably would." 

They laughed a bit, then it was quiet again. Thomas smiled a bit, imagining how offended Newt would be if he tried to kiss him quiet. Probably kick Thomas' feet out from under him. He chuckled to himself. Newt was so adorable. Even if he was kinda scary. Minho heard him chuckling and laughed a bit. "Thinking about what Newt would do to you, too?" 

Thomas laughed. "You're a mind-reader." 

"Hey about that," Minho began. "Is it weird? To not be able to do that anymore?" 

Thomas shook his head. "For awhile, it was really weird. It was kinda like taking a certain road home everyday, and then just heading home one day just to see someone had put a house on it or something. It was kinda bizarre. But it didn't take long for me to get over it." 

Minho grunted. "Remember when I got struck by lightening?" 

They both just laughed in response. 

"Ya know, when we all got separated, all Newt did was complain. Whine and complain and whine and complain and whine and complain. And cry. He did a lot of that too, when he thought everyone was asleep. And the change was instant, y'know. He was so pissed off right before we all got separated, and the  _moment_ we got separated, he was panicking. He barely slept, and he looked everywhere. He really loves you, he's gonna cool down and hear what you have to say, and that's gonna be that. Just another fight behind you guys," Minho said. Then paused. "Or he'll hate you forever and push you into the ocean, hard to say." 

Thomas laughed, feeling lighter. "Thank you, Minho." 

"Mm-hmm. Now go to bed," Minho said, shifting on his bed. "Or just shut up so I can go to bed." 

Thomas gladly shut his eyes. Tomorrow. He was sure he'd be able to tell him tomorrow. 

 

Thomas awoke to Minho throwing a pillow at him. Leave it to Minho to somehow make being hit with a pillow hurt. 

"Get up," Minho grumbled. 

"I'm up," Thomas replied, throwing the pillow back in Minho's direction. It missed him by a long-shot. 

Minho sat up, rubbing his eyes. "I'm gonna go bathe and stuff..." he muttered, practically falling out of bed and shuffling out. For someone who got up early all the time, he sure wasn't a morning person. 

Thomas sat up and yawned. He pushed himself up and wandered back to his house. He opened the door; Newt was already gone. Thomas went to collect his clothes and bath stuff, but saw they had already been left out for him. Thomas smiled a little bit and took them, heading that way. 

After he had bathed and gotten dressed, he wandered back to Minho's house to pick up his bed off the floor. The door opened behind him. "What's on the agenda today?" Thomas yawned. 

"Take off your ring." 

Thomas whirled around, surprised to see Newt there. Thomas frowned a bit. "But... Why?" 

"Take it off." Newt commanded. 

Thomas frowned. "No, Newt, you need to let me explain, I'm not going to let this ruin us." Newt tried to talk over him, but Thomas spoke over him louder. "No! Listen to me!" he shouted, taking a step forward, grabbing Newt's shoulder. "You're going to listen to me." 

Newt glared and shoved Thomas so hard he stumbled to the ground. He pinned Thomas down, grabbed his hand, painfully yanked the ring off, and threw it under Minho's bed. Then he just got up and brushed himself off as if it were nothing. Thomas just laid there, completely dazed. Thomas wasn't sure when he had let himself think he was the stronger one in the relationship, but he was beginning to have his doubts. "Newt..." 

"Shut up and get out here." 

Thomas decided that getting his ass handed to him again wouldn't be fun, so he obeyed this time. When he glanced outside, everything made sense. 

Darius just stood out there, a couple dozen feet away, waiting patiently with Minho and a couple Hunters with guns trained on him. 

"Why didn't you tell me it was him?" Thomas whispered under his breath. 

"Because you decided to talk over me." Newt said simply. 

Thomas blushed a little. "Well, I thought..." 

"What? That I was divorcing you?" Newt rolled his eyes, looking genuinely annoyed. "Don't be so stupid." 

"So. What does he want?" 

Newt shrugged. "I came and got you first, since..." his voice trailed a bit.  _Since I didn't want you around him without me,_ Thomas thought fondly. He smiled. 

Thomas wanted to take his hand and kiss him, to tell him everything he needed to know, but now wasn't the time. 

Instead, he walked to Darius to deal with this problem. Again. 


	48. Chapter Forty-One- To Be Better Than Darius

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello my dear lovelies <3 
> 
> It's time to continue!! ***I do NOT own the Maze Runner series or any of the characters!***

Thomas marched right up to Minho's side, right in front of Darius. "What's he doing here?" Thomas spat to Minho, all while glaring at Darius. 

"He's got an infection, and came to us," Minho said, both of them staring Darius down. 

Newt was at Minho's side. He crossed his arms and scoffed. "An infection?"

Darius winked at Newt. "Always lovely to see you again," he said, tugging up his pant leg. There was a nasty gash right below his knee, and sure enough, the skin around it was purple and inflamed. "I was hoping your doctor would have something for this," and for the first time, Thomas noticed the exhaustion in Darius' eyes, and the thin sheen of sweat on his face. He was in a lot of pain. Thomas enjoyed that a bit. 

Newt wasn't buying it. "So you're tellin' me... You got an infected cut, and walked  _six bloody hours_ just for our doctor, not knowing if we'd even help you?" 

Darius hesitated for a moment, then laughed a little. "Sharp." he said, "actually, I was on my way here to collect some things from my boat. Got cut on the way here... But I wasn't going to bother you lot, so long as you didn't bother me." 

Thomas fought the urge to glance at Newt when he mentioned the boat. They left that door wide open; they didn't jam it shut again. He'd know they were in there. And collect some things? He wanted those things back...? 

Minho sighed heavily and leaned in close to Thomas. "So? What do you think?" he whispered. 

Thomas looked at the dark blood soaking through his pants. "You're alone?" he asked aloud to Darius. 

Darius nodded. 

Newt walked between Minho and Thomas to get in on the discussion. "I don't bloody know what to make of this," Newt whispered. 

"He's hurt bad," Minho whispered. "If we turn him away, he might lose his leg. Which means he might lose his life. I can't decide if we should let that happen or not..." 

Thomas nodded in understanding. In hindsight, it would make everything easier. Either Darius would die, and that would make things easier. Or he'd lose his leg and be weaker, which would also make things easier. But of course, morality was in question. Would be they monsters if they turned him away? 

Thomas swallowed the sour taste in his mouth as he spoke. "I think we should help him." he sighed. "I really don't want to. But we're just as bad as them if we let him die like that." 

Newt nodded, and he smiled at Thomas. Thomas smiled back, grateful to see that smile again. Minho nodded a bit. "Alright, fine." he turned to Darius. "You're gonna be watched the entire time, and once you're able to be up and around, you get the shuck out of here. Understand?" 

Darius nodded, that stupid smug grin he always had on his face. Thomas glared at him. "And if you do anything, I'll kill you." 

Darius looked him up and down. His smile fell. "I don't doubt it," he remarked, and Thomas couldn't decide if he sounded intimidated or like he was accepting a challenge. 

Maybe this wasn't the best idea. 

 

Minho, Thomas, and Newt stood in Dr.Smith's office, watching Dr. Smith and Darius through the doorway. 

Dr. Smith was studying his leg and do something with it. Darius just sat with his head against the wall, looking like he was in serious pain. Minho shook his head. "We'll trade off. I'll go on watch first. Four hour blocks. We all stay armed. And don't hesitate to shoot him if he does anything." 

Thomas and Newt nodded. Minho started towards Darius and Dr. Smith. Thomas and Newt stood in the doorway. Thomas watched them. "If you really look, you can see the man in the picture," he whispered. 

Newt nodded. "I want to go get that picture." 

Thomas looked at him. "What? Why?" 

Newt shrugged. "I think it's important. And I think..." his voice trailed off and he shook his head. 

Thomas frowned. "What?"

Newt glanced at Thomas from the corner of his eye. "I think I kinda look like his wife." 

Thomas flinched with surprise. He tried to remember the woman in the picture, but he hadn't exactly been focused on her at the time. "You think that's why he likes you?" 

"I think that's why he noticed me." Newt said simply. "But I think those girls were right; he likes me because I'm not scared of him." 

Thomas nudged him. "Then let's go get it." 

Newt glanced away. "You don't have to come with me." 

Thomas frowned a bit. "You don't want me to?" 

Newt sighed. "I didn't say that." 

"Can we talk now?" Thomas asked, practically begging. 

Newt straightened out, getting ready to leave. "I don't think now is the best time," he said, already sounding annoyed by the subject. With that, he turned and walked out. 

Thomas groaned and followed. "Newt, if you just listen to me, you'll see you're mad about nothing." 

Newt spun on him. 

_Uh-oh._

"No wait, that came out wrong--" 

Newt shook his head. "Just, stop talking." he turned around again, but Thomas grabbed his shoulder. 

"Please, Newt! I know how that came out, and it came out bad, but it's true!" 

Newt yanked himself away from Thomas' hand. "I don't know what happened Thomas, and I don't want to right now, but are you tellin' me that you have a good explanation for why  _you_ didn't bloody tell me? For why I had to hear it from some people who  _caught_ you-" he stopped himself as his voice cracked. He pressed the back of his hand to his mouth and glanced away, blinking away tears. 

Thomas wanted to hug him, or kiss him, but Newt wouldn't appreciate that at the moment. "I... I didn't want to upset you on our wedding day," he said weakly, partly because Newt crying made Thomas feel like shit, and partly because now the excuse suddenly seemed stupid. He should've just told him. 

Newt shook his head, reeling his emotions back in.  _Don't do that,_ Thomas thought sadly.  _Show them to me..._

"It's hard to feel like I can trust what you say about what happened when you didn't tell me," Newt muttered. "And that face you made when I asked you about it... You looked so shocked and  _guilty_." 

Thomas' heart broke. "Newt, I wouldn't lie to you..." he reached out for him, but Newt recoiled from his touch. 

"Just. Not now," Newt muttered, his voice breaking as he turned and walked off. 

Thomas just stood there, watching him go. He placed a hand over his chest as if that would help calm the pain.

It didn't. 

 

Finally, it was Thomas' turn. 

He wanted nothing more than to go somewhere and just sit. Ideally, it would be without the psychotic murederer who wanted to harm his husband, but he'd take what he could get. Of course, Dr. Smith was there too, but he was busy in his office, so he didn't think he'd be much of a problem. 

Thomas sat on the hospital bed beside Darius' staring off. Darius glanced at him. "Break up with that girlfriend just now or something?" 

Thomas winced. Break up? Why did he think that? "No. Just a fight." 

Darius just nodded. Thomas forgot for a moment, that he was an utter psychopath. 

Thankfully, Darius fell into a fitful sleep. He looked really bad; his face pale, eyes sunken, and writhing. Dr. Smith came in a couple times to put some sort of liquid and cream on his leg, and made him take antibiotics. Thomas wondered if they should be giving Darius something so precious, but Thomas assumed they had enough, otherwise they wouldn't do it. WICKED had left them few medications. Antibiotics, painkillers, iron pills, Dulera--things of the sort, that fought infections and assisted in medical conditions that they wouldn't be able to treat naturally. So they were pretty precious. 

With his new silence, Thomas leaned his head back, and did lots of thinking. 

 

"Why are we helping him?" 

Thomas glanced at Dr. Smith, who stood, looking at Darius disapprovingly. Thomas looked at Darius, who was still asleep. Thomas had completely zoned out. "Because who would we be if we turned him away?" 

"Smart? Alive? Justified? He killed some of our people. He's been threatening us since he got here," Dr. Smith said with a shake of his head. 

"Well." Thomas glanced at him. "We'd be the same as him then, if we killed him." 

Dr. Smith sighed heavily. "That's true, but..." 

Thomas nodded. "I know." 

"Anyway, what's wrong?" 

Thomas shook his head. "Just a fight." 

Dr. Smith frowned. "You and New--" 

"Shh," Thomas said, placing a finger to his lips, then nodding towards Darius. He was asleep, but he couldn't risk him hearing it. "He can't know." 

Dr. Smith nodded a bit. Then Thomas did as well. "Yes," he paused. " _She_ and I are fighting. She's pretty pissed at me. Or... Or she's too sad to be around me. Or both, I can't tell." 

"What happened?" he asked, sitting on the edge of the bed. 

"Someone kissed me. And some people apparently saw it and told hi--her. She won't let me explain that this person kissed me, and that the reason I didn't tell was because I didn't want to upset her," Thomas sighed, running his fingers through his hair. 

Dr. Smith nodded a bit. "I had a wife," he said, staring off. "She was so pretty, much too pretty to be with me. And she was funny and bright and everything I ever wanted, but she got jealous so easy. I used to hate it, I used to wish she would just take a step back and calm down. But she wasn't immune." he had to pause for a moment before continuing. "And when she got the Flare, she accepted it long before I did. I convinced her I could find a cure. I remember looking her in the eyes and saying 'I have to. What good is a doctor who can't save anybody?'. She knew, though. She'd come to peace with it. And one night, she woke me up crying, and she apologized for being jealous of the nurses and the female patients who talked to me for more than a second. She said she was just so scared of losing me, which I thought was such a silly thing to worry about. But she did. She did every damn day she saw any girl around who she thought would be a threat to her. And it hit me that she spent everyday worrying about this. She was emotional, and she loved me more than anything. That was why she was jealous." he frowned. "She turned herself in the next day. I never saw her again." 

Thomas frowned deeply and pulled his knees to his chest. "That's..." 

"Awful, I know." he said, then nodded. "Point is, she's hurt because she loves you. Because she loves you more than anything. It's not out of malice or pettiness. She loves you too much to bear the thought of someone else with you, even for a moment, even if you didn't start it." 

Thomas nodded a little. Now he just wanted to think, and apparently Dr. Smith understood, because he wandered back to his room. 

 

Thomas was sitting there, staring at the wall, when Newt showed up. 

"My turn," he said, never looking at Thomas. 

Thomas nodded and stood. He checked to make sure Darius was still asleep first before walking over. He paused beside Newt, kissing the side of his head. "I'm still gonna be right here when you're ready to talk," he whispered, walking out with another word. 

For now, Thomas would wait. 


	49. Chapter Forty-Two- Four Hours

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello lovlies! 
> 
> Another update. Who knows? I might even do another one tonight ;) This is a short one, but I think you'll enjoy it anyway! 
> 
> ***I do NOT own the Maze Runner series or any of the characters!***

Thomas wasn't proud of it, but he hung around outside the hospital for Newt's entire shift. 

When Minho came to relieve Newt from his shift at about nine at night, he paused and stared at Thomas for a minute. "You didn't." 

Thomas blushed a little. "I did." 

Minho rolled his eyes. "You stayed here the  _entire time_? You've seen Darius right? He can barely get up!" 

Thomas threw his arms in the air. "You never know!"

Minho laughed. "Stupid shank." 

They walked inside together. Newt was on the hospital bed besides Darius', picking at his nails, clearly bored and somewhat annoyed. His back against the wall, and his long legs outstretched across the length of the bed. Thomas blushed. Sure, they were fighting, but that didn't mean Thomas couldn't notice how sexy he was. 

Apparently someone else noticed, too. 

"So, is that thing just a fashion state or you got a fiance?" Darius asked, his annoying smug grin on his face. His eyes roamed all over Newt, who paid him no mind. 

Newt just ignored him. 

"Won't talk to me? Is it called I you sexy earlier?" 

Nothing. 

"Is it cause I invited you to lay in bed with me?" 

Nothing. Though Thomas was about to ready say some choice words himself. 

Minho walked over, sighing heavily. "Alright, alright, that's enough. You're just embarrassing yourself." 

Darius fake-pouted. "Awe come on, I think I was really getting somewhere with him." 

"Yeah, well, you weren't." Minho said, taking Newt's spot as he stood up and stretched. 

Darius watched Newt walk out. "See ya," he purred. 

When Thomas and Newt were outside, Thomas let his annoyance show. "Was he doing that the entire time?" 

"No, he was asleep for the first two hours of my shift." 

Thomas crossed his arms, pouting just a bit. "Well... Are you okay? Did he do anything to you?" 

Newt looked at him. "Take everything you just saw in there." 

"Uh-huh." 

"And stretch that out for two hours." 

Thomas laughed a little. "Oh..." 

Newt laughed a little. "Yeah. He can barely get up, what'd you expect to happen?" 

Newt began walking again, so Thomas followed. "Well I don't know. But I don't appreciate him constantly talking to you like that either." 

Newt sighed. "Me neither, but it's not like I could say, 'hey, bug off, I'm married.'" 

Thomas pouted. "Well. You could still tell him to bug off." 

"Oh I did." Newt shook his head. "Man's relentless." 

Thomas noticed Newt wasn't walking towards their house. "Where are you going?" 

Newt paused. "We." he corrected. "We are going to go steal that picture." 

Thomas' heart leapt up in his chest. "Oh, okay," he said with a smile. 

They walked in complete silence. Thomas wanted to hold his hand, but instead he kept about a foot of space between them, glancing over at him constantly. He looked a bit tired, but he didn't look so upset. Which was good, Thomas supposed. Maybe he'd let him talk to him. But Thomas decided he wouldn't press it, he'd let Newt choose when. 

When they reached the boat, they shuddered. It was much scarier at night. 

Thomas walked over, beginning to climb the net when Newt just cleared his throat. When Thomas glanced over, Newt was just standing there awkwardly. He blushed slightly, pointing up. Thomas laughed a little and walked over and stood behind Newt, resting his hands on Newt's hips. "Ready?" 

Newt nodded, but when Thomas pushed him up, Newt still clambered over just as ungracefully as last time. Thomas laughed to himself, internally gushing about how cute he was and began making his way up the net. 

When he reached the top, Newt helped him up the rest of the way. Thomas tried not to think about it, but he couldn't help but notice that Newt didn't mind Thomas touching him or anything. Whereas, just the other day, Newt smacked his hand away if he tried. Thomas brushed himself off and they both stared at the totally, pitch-black room ahead of them. "Maybe we should of brought a candle..." Thomas muttered. 

Newt nodded. "Probably..." 

Regardless, they walked inside. Two steps inside and they suddenly became away of a terrible scraping sound inside. Thomas felt Newt grab his hand. "What in the bloody hell is that?" 

Just as Thomas considering taking Newt and running out of there, whatever it was came at them. They both screamed and ended up on the floor, watching a crow fly out of the room, its feathers puffed up and disheveled. Thomas lay there, on his back, Newt on top of him. They both sighed in defeat. "It was just a bird..." Thomas said. 

Newt took in a breath and rested his head on Thomas' chest for a moment. Thomas willed his heart not to beat too hard. 

Newt just glanced up at him, and for a moment, they just looked at each other. Then Newt pushed himself up and helped pull Thomas up. Blindly, they wandered into the dark room, feeling around on the desk for a minute or two before they felt the picture paper. "Okay, let's get out of here, this is freaking me out." Thomas said. 

Newt was already walking out. 

Thomas hopped down first. He hit the ground and fell over like a complete idiot. Newt just giggled. "Are you okay?" 

Thomas laid there and laughed. "Yes..." he had to admit, he was sort of forgetting that they had been fighting at all. He pushed himself up, brushed himself off, and held out his hands. "Here, I won't drop you." 

Newt dangled his legs over the edge. "Yeah, we'll see." 

He slid down and Thomas actually stayed true to his word. Granted, he did almost fall, but he didn't, and that's what mattered. The two of them walked back towards their house. When they reached it, Newt didn't yell at him to leave, so Thomas took that as an invitation and walked inside. Now that they had light, they studied the picture. 

Her hair was lighter and straight, and obviously long, but her eyes were brown like Newt's, and she had similar structure in her face. They weren't identical or anything, but there were definitely some similarities. "Hmm." Thomas said. 

"Hmm indeed." Newt said, tossing the picture on their nightstand. "Should we give that to him?" 

"No way," Thomas said, "he'd probably kill us if he knew we were in there. Even worse if we sat there and studied the picture." 

Newt frowned. "Maybe this is what he's going back for, though." 

Thomas shrugged a bit. "Maybe I'll ask him in a couple hours during my shift, see what he says." 

Newt nodded a bit. He pulled his knees up to his chest. "You can talk now." 

Thomas panicked for a minute, caught utterly off guard, then composed himself. He explained everything as carefully and well-put as he could. Thomas had a bad habit of making things sound bad without thinking about it, and it'd be pretty inconvenient to screw this up. 

Thomas took his time. A part of him wanted to rush, just in case Newt tried to cut him off, but he didn't. When he was done, he just sat there quietly. Newt took a couple minutes to collect his thoughts, then just nodded. "Okay." 

"Okay?" Thomas asked. 

"Okay," Newt repeated. 

Thomas squirmed a bit. "... What the heck does that mean?" 

Newt laughed a little. "Just okay." he glanced over at him. "It really annoys me you didn't tell me, but... It's okay." 

Thomas let out a breath of relief, an enormous weight falling right off his shoulders. He wanted to wrap his arms around him or kiss him or something, but he wasn't sure if Newt would want him to. Newt just grinned. "Come here." 

Thomas obeyed, wrapping his arms around him as he crashed into him. They stumbled back on the bed and Newt just laughed, hugging him back. "I love you, stupid," Newt said fondly. 

Thomas held him close, smiling stupidly to himself. "I love you, too. So, so much." Not able to hold himself back anymore, he pulled away just enough to grab Newt's face and kiss him hard. When they pulled away for a breath, Newt bit Thomas' lip. Thomas grinned. "What about that four year honeymoon I mentioned?" 

Newt giggled a bit, hooking a finger around the hem of Thomas' shirt. "Well... I don't know about that, but we've got about four  _hours_." 

Thomas smirked, "I'll take it." 


	50. Chapter Forty-Three- Harmless

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Another update <3 (It's like two in the morning here, I make awful sleeping decisions) 
> 
> I'm off to bed! There will be another in the morning, my lovelies!! Enjoy! ***I do NOT own the Maze Runner series or any of the characters!***

Newt's alarm on his watch awoke them. 

Newt grumbled. "Tommy, it's your shift..." he said, clicking the noisy thing around his wrist, then yanking the covers over his head. Thomas sat up, rubbing his eyes. Two hours was not a great nap. Maybe four hours would've been a good one, but they spent two hours just enjoying each other. Totally worth it. 

Thomas smirked over at Newt's shape under the blanket. He squeezed his sides, making Newt squeal and squirm. Newt popped his head out from the blanket, laughing uncontrollably, trying to push Thomas' hands off him. "S-Stop!" he shouted, kicking his legs aimlessly. "Get out of here!" 

Thomas laughed and pulled his hands away, smirking. "Oh sorry, were you trying to go back to bed? My bad." he said, pressing a kiss against Newt's ear. 

"Yeah, yeah," Newt said with a roll of his eyes and a grin on his face, flicking Thomas across the nose. "You're a jerk." 

"You should put clothes on," Thomas said, looking amused. "We don't have locks on our doors, ya know." 

Newt yanked the covers back over his head, muttering something about already having his boxers on, and not caring enough to put the rest on. Thomas smirked, finally getting out of bed. He was half-dressed already, only needing to pull on his shirt. Newt peeked his head out just a bit. "Careful." he muttered sleepily. 

"Always am," Thomas said, sitting on the edge of the bed and pulling on his boots. 

"That's the biggest lie I've ever heard," Newt said with a grin, reaching out and distractedly rubbing Thomas' back. 

Thomas hummed. "Newt, stop, I'm never gonna be able to get out of here." 

"That was kind of the point," Newt remarked, but he did pull his hand away with a yawn. "Go on, Minho's probably dyin' to have some time off. It's one in the bloody mornin', after all." 

Thomas sighed heavily. "Now I get to be in there until five in the morning... Yuck." 

Newt gave him a sympathetic smile. "But then you can come back here and nap." 

Thomas pouted as he walked to the door. "Yeah, but then you won't be here." he leaned against the back of the door. "I'll see you soon," he said. He paused. "I love you." 

Newt giggled a little, once again pulling the covers back over his head. "Love ya too." 

Thomas walked out, sighing into the cold. He couldn't help but notice it was slightly colder than usual. A spark of hope ignited in his chest; maybe the sun wasn't as terribly strong anymore? Maybe the world would recover some? He looked around.  _Can it snow on islands?_ He hoped so. Their first snow after the years here would be amazing. Though, he was getting ahead of himself. Autumn was just beginning, after all. 

When he walked into the Med-House, Minho rose to his feet, looking exhausted. "Thank God." he muttered, patting Thomas' shoulder as shuffled out. 

Thomas walked over and sat on the bed. Darius was awake, gripping his leg painfully. "How'd it happen anyway?" Thomas asked as he sat down. 

Darius grinned a bit. "I tripped..." he said, shaking his head. "Tripped right over a freaking tree root, landed against a rock that was sticking out of the ground. Can you believe that? I couldn't believe my own stupidity." he winced. "Guess I'm payin' for it now..." 

Thomas frowned a bit. It was so odd. When Darius was alone, confined to bed, he was bearable. He was almost... Nice to talk to. Thomas couldn't understand it. Usually, just the thought made him sick. But lately, when he thought of Darius, he thought of him as being, well, harmless. 

"Won't your men come looking for you?" Thomas asked. 

"Maybe." Darius said with a nod. "But, ya know, none of us are really close." 

"No? Why's that?" 

Darius rolled his eyes, grinning. "Kid, your group is something special. Most people that we started off died pretty quick. Everyone else was people who came along the way. We weren't making friendships or anything, we were finding safety in numbers. And strength. We can practically take whatever we want." 

Thomas frowned, an itch of discomfort in his stomach. "Why not finding something of your own?" 

Darius scoffed. "Not everyone's as freaking lucky as you guys. You guys got it easy." 

"We didn't get here easily," he spat, then glanced aside. He supposed that they  _were_ lucky. If the Chancellor hadn't given them all of this, then... Well, he didn't know where they'd be. Probably not alive. 

Darius eyed him up and down. "Ever killed another person?" 

Thomas nodded. 

"Ever watched the life drain from their eyes?" 

Again, Thomas nodded. 

"How old are you, kid?" 

Thomas hesitated. "I think I'm about 19 now. Maybe 20." 

Darius eyed him. "You're not sure?" 

"Nope." Thomas said, and that's all Darius needed to know about that. 

"So that blond one." Darius said, suddenly grinning again and leaning back, folding his arms behind his head. "Newt, is it? Yeah. What's up with that ring on his finger? He's not really married, is he?" 

"No," Thomas blurted. 

"So what's up with the ring? It's recent. He didn't have it fist time I met him, that's for sure." 

"He was engaged," Thomas said. "They never wore their rings, because we do lots of work around here. But his fiance got sick and died, so he wears it now." It actually came out pretty smooth, Thomas was impressed with himself. 

"That's a shame." Darius said, then smirked. "For the poor sucker who died anyway." 

Thomas glared at him, but didn't push the topic any farther. 

"I have this awful feeling you're gonna kill me someday, kid." Darius said after some time of silence. Thomas looked up at him, surprised. Darius still had his arms folded behind his head, the same grin on his face, his eyes closed like he might doze off. 

"Why's that?" Thomas asked slowly. 

Darius chuckled, cutting his sharp gaze to Thomas.

"Because you're the only who's scared of me just enough to have the courage to kill me." 

 

Thomas thought a lot about that. 

 _Why does he think that? Where'd he get that from? Do I look scared? Or do I... not? Both?_ he was completely baffled. And it's not like Thomas could just ask him to elaborate something like that. 

Darius was fast asleep when Newt arrived. They peered at his wound, which almost looked worse than it had before he showed up. Newt crossed his arms, glancing at Thomas. "You think he'll make it?" Newt whispered. 

"I don't know." Thomas replied. "When's Dr. Smith supposed to get back?" 

"About seven in the morning," Newt said, quietly sitting on the bed Thomas had just been sleeping on. 

Thomas frowned deeply. "So you're gonna be completely alone with him for awhile..." Thomas muttered. "Maybe I should stay." 

"No," Newt snapped. "You look like death. Not to mention-- _you_ were just in here, alone with him, for four hours. I can survive for about two all by myself." 

Thomas sighed a bit. "But he's not weirdly into  _me._ "

Newt crossed his arms, glaring. "Think I can't take care of myself?"

 Thomas blushed a bit. "Uh, no, that's not what I was--" 

Newt smirked. "Then shut up and get out." 

Thomas sighed, but he obeyed. Despite the gnawing terror that grew with every step farther from Newt, he was able to fall right asleep when he hit the bed. 

 

When Thomas awoke, it was to Newt pushing on him. 

"Scoot over," Newt yawned. 

Thomas obeyed, making room for him on the bed. "You're okay?" he muttered, ready to fall back asleep. 

Newt nodded. "He slept the entire time," he said, curling up against Thomas and going right back to sleep. 

 

They didn't get up until noon. 

They bathed, but they still walked around like zombies. This whole four-hour-block of sleep thing was really starting to get old. They made their way to Victoria's, chatted with her and played with Alex. Just as it was nearing the end of Minho's shift, they ran into Brenda. Newt did not look happy to see her. "What?" he asked coldly. 

She seemed a bit surprised by Newt's tone, but she shook her head. "We've got a problem." 

Thomas sighed heavily. "What now?" he asked, expecting it to be something small. 

"One of my Hunters went out about three hours out today, tracking an elk." she paused, leaning in and speaking quietly so nobody else heard. "He spotted a few of Darius' men in a camp." 

Thomas and Newt exchanged glances. 

"They're looking for him." Thomas said, turning and jogging towards the Med-House. 

Something needed to happen, and quick, or else these men were gonna come in guns-blazing. 


	51. Chapter Forty-Four- Mama

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So sorry for the late update!   
> My mom is off work today, so that's usually when we run errands! We just got home and had dinner, so I'm gonna try and upload a couple times right now!   
> A word of caution, this chapter, and... Yeah, next chapter too, are gonna be kinda calm, but then everything sort of starts happening all at once (since we're nearing the end kinda, ah!) I think we might finish this with exactly 60 chapters. (I have what's going to happen in each chapter planned out and written down and I think it added up to 60 even). BUT I NEED YOUR OPINIONS. I've also been throwing around the idea of adding a handful of bonus chapters to this series after the main one is done? Just continuing with something like "Bonus chapter 1" and so on, and just having these chapters be little things that happened during time skips and all that kinda stuff? What do you all think of that?? Please do lemme know!! 
> 
> Enjoy:)   
> ***I do NOT own the Maze Runner series or any of the characters!***

Thomas stormed into the Med-House, Newt trailing behind him.

"One of our Hunters spotted a camp a couple hours away," Thomas said, stopping in front of Darius' bed. 

"Oh, they're just looking for me," Darius said with a dismissive wave of his hand. "They'll come here, ask where I am, and then you can just show them where I am and no problem."

"Why don't we just go out there and bloody tell 'em?" Newt asked.

"Because, doll face, if you do that, they'll shoot you on sight. And if they don't, they won't believe whatever you tell them, and  _then_ they will shoot you." Darius said with a nod. "So, I suggest just having someone ready when they  _do_ get here." 

"Well... How long is that gonna take?" Minho asked, still seated on the hospital bed. 

Darius shrugged. "A couple days, at least. They're probably setting up camp and searching for me in the woods before they have to come here."

Thomas sighed. "Alright..." he muttered, glancing at Newt, who just shrugged. 

"Don't sweat it," Darius said, laying back on the bed with a pained wince. "Unless you come at 'em, they're practically harmless." 

 

Of course, they were skeptical, but there wasn't much to be done. 

They stopped by Victoria's to visit. Of course, Alex was always thrilled to see Newt. He scooped her up and held her, and she babbled at him for awhile, telling him something they couldn't understand. 

"So how old is she now?" Thomas asked, watching them as he took a seat at the table. 

Victoria was there as well, smiling as she watched Newt and Alex. "She's a little over eleven months now. Almost a whole year old."

Thomas shook his head. "That time went by incredibly fast..." he muttered, shaking his head. 

Victoria nodded. "I missed the first ten months almost, and it feels like I've only had her for a week." 

"I would imagine so..." Thomas said, watching them, then glancing back at her. "Any interesting developments in our genius baby?" 

"Well." she said. "She takes steps here and there, but she's a super fast crawler. And like I said before, she seems like she wants to say the D word." 

Thomas snickered. "The D word?" 

Victoria smacked his arm. "Not  _that_ D word. The one that kinda sounds like mama," she said, making sure to say 'mama' super loud so Alex would hear it. "I can't wait, honestly." 

Thomas smiled at her. "Me neither." 

 

They all sat around with her for the next four hours. Then Thomas was off to his shift. He came back, and Newt went off to his. It was definitely late by the time they were both at Victoria's again, but neither she or Alex seemed to mind. They happily paid lots and lots of attention to Alex. Trading her off and playing with her. Eventually, it was time to start winding down. It was way past her bedtime anyway.  

Alex grabbed Newt's face and looked frustrated that he wasn't responding to her babbling. Newt just let her, smiling at her. Of course, when he smiled at her, she smiled right back. 

She pointed at Newt's face, just staring at him. Victoria laughed. "What are you doing, silly girl?" 

She just hummed for awhile. Newt glanced at Thomas. "Um...?" 

Thomas shrugged. "Don't ask me, I have no idea." 

As if to respond to Thomas, Alex suddenly poked Newt in the face and shouted: "Mama!" 

Everyone was silent for a moment. No one moved or breathed or said anything. Then there was absolute chaos. All of them crawling closer to Alex, declaring in shock how she'd just spoke. Newt paused. "Wait." he pointed at Victoria. "That's mama." 

Alex grabbed his face. "Mama!" 

"No," Newt said, "I'm not mama." he pointed her in Victoria's direction. " _That's_ mama." 

Alex giggled, pointing at Victoria. "Mama!" 

They cheered and Newt sat her back down. She smiled and pointed at Victoria, then at Newt. "Mama!" 

Newt just threw his arms up, looking so done with the situation. "Whatever." 

Victoria laughed, scooping her up and pointing her at Thomas. "Do you know who that is?" 

Alex stared blankly, babbling something. "That's dada," Victoria said, pointing at Thomas. "Can you say dada?" 

Alex stared blankly some more, then just smiled at Victoria. "Mama!" 

Thomas laughed. "Not yet. And here you were worried she was gonna say that first!" 

"Well, to be fair, she did call _Newt_ mama first." Victoria laughed, placing her in her crib. 

Newt just crossed his arms. "Yeah, yeah, whatever. Let's just tell people she said it to you." 

Thomas put his arm around Newt, lovingly nuzzling his ear. "Come on now, you  _must_ know that I'm going to tell everybody what happened." he said as sweetly and affectionately as he could. 

Newt grinned. "You'll be a dead man, Tommy." 

"You'll have to catch me first," Thomas said, kissing his cheek. "Though I guess we should be going, since we're probably keeping her awake." 

Victoria grinned. "Keeping  _her_ awake? Keeping  _me_ awake. I have a child, I'm exhausted, get out," she laughed. 

Thomas and Newt waved goodbye and made their way out. 

They walked hand-in-hand back towards their place. "There's a lot going on lately," Newt said. 

Thomas nodded. "And I have a feeling there's gonna be lots more, too." he glanced at Newt. He looked tired, which was understandable. The shift-switching thing was somewhat exhausting. Thomas just hoped it wouldn't last much longer, he would love nothing more than to just curl up with Newt and sleep for as long as he wanted. 

There was something in his chest urging him to start sleeping every chance he could. 

He had a bad feelings things were going to start changing very soon. 


	52. Chapter Forty-Five- Tic-Tac-Toe

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Alright, another short, chill chapter! The last one, too ;) 
> 
> Enjoy! ***I do NOT own the Maze Runner series or any of the characters!***

"They're not any closer yet." 

Minho and Thomas nodded. The young Hunter continued; he had just been approved and joined, he seemed nervous about this being his first job. "But they've been more active outside the campgrounds. I've seen almost twenty so far, but their camp looks big enough for at fifty." 

Minho cursed. "I didn't realize it was so damn big..." 

Thomas sighed heavily, dismissing the Hunter. He turned to Minho, hands on his hips. He rubbed at his eyes. It was about time for Newt's shift to end. Thomas had lost count of how many they'd had just over the past two days, but at the very least Darius' wound was making some progress. Not enough to be satisfying, though. The more they did this, the more Thomas would appreciate a full day of sleep. 

"Well. I guess we're just gonna have to keep an eye on them until they get close enough to be an actual problem... Then just have Darius talk to them." Thomas said, running his fingers through his hair.

"Yeah, but it still is pretty stressful." Minho said with a huff. 

Thomas nodded. "I know. Is there anything else we should be worried about?" 

"No, thank God. Everything else is actually in order for once." Minho said with a nod. 

Thomas nodded, about to speak when Minho's alarm beeped. "My turn," Minho groaned. 

They walked back to the hospital, and much to Thomas' surprise, Darius wasn't asleep. Or laying down at all. He was sitting up, and Newt was sitting across from him. They were scribbling on a piece of paper together. Thomas stood there, completely dumbfounded. 

"Look," Darius said, pointing. "You won already. Three X's in a row." 

Newt looked at the paper, squinting his eyes. "It works with diagonal, too?" 

Darius sighed with a grin on his face. "I told you that when we started, doll face." 

Thomas walked in, slightly disturbed by what was happening. "Um. Hi." 

Newt just nodded, not taking his eyes off the paper, then just nodded. "So it doesn't matter how, so long as it's just three in a row?" 

"Yes." Darius said, circling the three X's in the diagonal line. Thomas looked at the paper, there were three other grids set up just like that one. Each one had a row of X's circled. 

Minho peered at the paper. "What the heck is this junk?" 

"Tic-Tac-Toe." Darius said, glancing between Thomas and Minho's stumped faces. "Oh my god why do you guys not know what this is?"

Minho shrugged, sitting beside Newt. "Show me." 

Newt stood, stretching, and walked over to Thomas as Darius began to explain the simple rules. Thomas looked warily between Darius and Newt; Darius was being harmless, but he still didn't like it. "I need a nap." Newt said with a yawn.

Thomas wanted very bad to kiss him, but he knew better than that. Sure, Darius had been somewhat less... psychotic, but he still wouldn't go there. It was an odd thing, to look at him now, and it almost made Thomas forget what Darius had been just a week ago.  _Almost._

"Go, I'll meet up with you soon," Thomas said to him with a nod. 

Newt nodded, wandering off. Thomas watched Minho draw one big X across a grid. Darius sighed, rubbing the side of his head as he glanced at Minho. "It doesn't work that way, kid..." 

Thomas cleared his throat. "Newt beat you every time?" it came out a bit like an accusation. 

Darius grinned. "Well. What kind of man would I be if I didn't let him win?"    

Thomas had to keep the dirty look off his face. "... Mm-hmm." he said, nodding. Since when was Darius even somewhat gentlemanly? Not only was all this suspicious, it was making Thomas very, very irrationally jealous. Minho glanced at Thomas, and Thomas could clearly hear Minho's voice saying:  _Cool it._ Thomas turned. "I should go," he said, walking out. 

When Thomas made it back, Newt was already curled up under the blankets, but he wasn't sleeping, just looked annoyed. Thomas frowned. "What's wrong?" 

"Now that I  _can_ sleep, I can't _fall asleep_ ," he grumbled. 

Thomas walked over and sat on the edge of the bed. "So... Did you... have fun?... With Darius?" 

Newt sat up, instantly looking more annoyed. "I swear to god, Thomas." 

Thomas recoiled. "What?!" 

"If you say you're jealous, I will literally punch you in the eye." 

Thomas stared blankly. "... I wasn't gonna say that." 

"Are you jealous?" 

"... Not a lot." 

Newt groaned and laid back on the bed. "Tommy," he groaned. 

Thomas laid beside him. "Well he's all... weird with you. And now suddenly he's letting you win that _stupid_ game, and calling you  _stupid_ names. I don't like it!" 

Newt sighed and rolled so he was on his side, facing Thomas. He placed a hand on Thomas' face. "Tommy, I love you, so much, I love you so much, but you're very dumb if ya think you have anything to worry about. He's literally a deranged psychopath."

Thomas laughed a little, then shook his head. "Is he, though?" 

"What are you talkin' about?" Newt asked, frowning. "Of course he bloody is." 

"I know, but.... Doesn't it seem like he's getting better or something?" Thomas asked, propping himself up a bit on his elbows. "He's almost... normal?"

Newt frowned. "Awe come on, don't tell me ya trust that." 

"I... I don't know." Thomas shrugged. 

Newt shrugged, too. "I don't know, Tommy. Pretty sure he's pretending." 

Thomas nodded a bit. Of course, he was just thoroughly confused. Thomas cleared his throat. "So... Is that game he taught you fun?" 

Newt just looked at him for a moment, then sighed. "You want me to show you how to play it?" 

Thomas grinned a little. "... Yes." 

Newt sighed, but he was fighting a smile off his face. "Go get the paper!"

They played for about an hour or so. 

Thomas let him win every time. 


	53. Chapter Forty-Six- Two Missing Men

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Alright lovelies! 
> 
> I think that'll do with updates for tonight ;) Again, sorry about not getting to until way late! I will hopefully be more on time tomorrow, but tomorrow is another one of mom's days off, so it's hard to say... Wish me luck!   
> ***I do NOT own The Maze Runner series or any of the characters!***

Thomas sat there, staring up at the ceiling of the Med-House. 

Darius was asleep, and he wasn't looking so good. Dr. Smith wandered in, checking his leg as he slept. "How is he?" Thomas asked, glancing over at him. 

"The wound is healing," Dr. Smith said, "and there aren't many traces of infection left, that I can see, but he almost looks like he's getting a fever, so there must be some left in his bloodstream..." he shook his head. "I want to wait, though, to see how his condition develops. It's been fluctuating so much, it's hard to say if he'll get better or worse. I don't want to keep giving him antibiotics if he's going to be fine..." 

Thomas nodded a bit. "That's understandable. I'll spread the word to Newt and Minho to keep an eye on his condition while they're on their shifts." 

Dr. Smith nodded and wandered back to his office. Thomas just glanced at Darius, sighing a bit. He had absolutely no idea how to feel about all this. He didn't have much time to think about before Minho and Newt came busting in. "We got a head count on Darius' men last night." Minho said. 

"Okay. How much?" 

"40." Newt said with a sigh. "And now there's only 38 this morning." 

"Oh... Out hunting or looking for Darius?" Thomas asked, straightening up. 

Newt and Minho exchanged glances. "Well..." Minho started. "That's what we were thinking. But then one of the Hunters who had been spying on them told us that they always go out in a group of at least five..." 

"Yeah, and apparently they're all stressed out and won't leave their camp now. Like somethin' happened." Newt said with a nod. 

Thomas didn't like the sound of that. 

"What do you think?" Minho asked. "Should we send people out there?" 

"No way," Thomas said with a shake of his head. "That'd be suicide. Maybe they just lost a couple people?" 

"Or a couple people went out on their own to take matters into their own hands," Newt said. "I think we should have some patrol around here. Not leaving our area, of course, but just looking out around here?" 

Minho sighed. "But everyone will freak out. Start asking questions. Then before you know it, everyone will be demanding that we kick Darius outta here. And if we do that, God knows he and his people will come after us for it." 

They all just stood there for a moment, thinking. 

"I think we all need to go somewhere more private and have a nice, long chat," Minho said, glancing at Darius. 

Newt nodded. "I'll go get a Hunter." 

 

"We should really train our people for combat," Thomas said, his legs dangling off the edge. 

Minho, Newt, and Thomas sat by the cliff. It was quiet and easy to think there. Meanwhile, they had a Hunter stationed on Darius. He was asleep, heavily so, but they couldn't be too careful. 

Minho sighed, sitting criss-cross, drawing in the dirt with a stick. "I know, I know. I just hate to start handing out guns to these people. It's just gonna scare 'em."

Newt had his knees to his chest, and his arms folded over his knees. He stared out at the ocean. "I know. I don't want 'em scared, but I think they'd agree with us that we'd rather have them scared and  _alive_." 

Minho nodded. "Yeah. I guess we can set that up. Get some Hunters on that. They're the best with the guns anyway." 

They all just sat there for a moment, together. It was nice. There was a nice breeze, and the ocean hit the shore off in the distance with the loveliest sound. And for a just moment, things were calm. 

Until of course Newt whirled his head off to the side, staring at some trees from the woods off to the side of them. Thomas and Minho glanced at him. "You finally lose your shuck mind?" Minho asked. 

"Shh, shh!" Newt hissed, getting to his feet and slowly walking towards the cluster of trees. "Ya hear that?" 

Thomas and Minho listened for a minute. Nothing. Minho leaned over to Thomas. "I think your husband's lost it," Minho whispered. 

"It was only a matter of time," Thomas whispered back, making them both giggle. 

They both shut up real quick when a hellish laugh came from the trees. 

Newt yanked the knife out of his boot just as a Crank came crashing right through, ramming into Newt and knocking him to the ground. Thomas almost froze, shocked to see a Crank after all this time, a full-blown Crank. He was completely mad. way past the Gone. There were deep scratches down the sides of his face, and judging by the blood and skin under his fingernails, he did it to himself. 

Thomas and Minho were on their feet in a split second, making a mad dash. But they were too slow. 

Well, too slow to kill the Crank themselves, anyways. 

Newt had managed to reach the knife that had been knocked out of his hand from the impact. He pulled his legs from under the ungraceful, shouting creature, kicking it in the stomach. Once it was back just enough, Newt slashed its throat. It fell onto him and Newt squeaked in disgust, becoming increasingly soaked in its blood as it sprayed and gushed from its neck. 

Minho and Thomas shoved it off, Thomas pulling Newt to his feet. Newt stood, wiping some blood off his face, breathing heavily. "What... the bloody hell..." 

Minho looked at Newt and put a hand over his mouth. "Oh God... Dude, that's... Go take a bath. Far away. I'm gettin' sick just looking at you." 

At the mention of being sick, Newt turned and threw up somewhat violently. 

Thomas glared at Minho and kicked him rather hard in the knee. Minho winced, clutching his knee, but he nodded. "I deserved that one."

Thomas walked over, placing a hand on Newt's back, rubbing it. "Come on Newt, let's go get you cleaned up." 

Newt clutched his knees, hanging his head, catching his breath. "No, no. Go tell the others to be careful," he straightened out, wiping his mouth. "I can do it myself. Just go ask Darius why the  _bloody hell_ we've got Cranks running around. How many of his damn men are infected!?" 

 

"Darius!" 

Darius scrambled into a sitting position, wiping the sleep from his eyes. "Jeez, morning to you too, kiddos," he said his voice rough from sleep and strained from obvious pain. "Where's doll face?" 

Thomas wasn't having it. 

He grabbed Darius by the shirt and slammed him into the bed frame. "He's lucky to be alive--how many of your men are infected!? How _long_ have they been infected!?" 

Darius looked at him dazed. "What?" 

Thomas slammed against the bed frame again. "How many!?" he shouted. 

"I don't know!" Darius shouted back, shoving him back. "What the hell are you going on about?!" 

"One of your men is a shuckin' Crank and he attacked Newt!" Minho shouted. 

Dr. Smith rushed out with Gally and Jade, all of them looking panicked. "He got attacked by what?!" Gally asked. 

Jade hugged Gally's arm. "Is he alive!?" 

"He's fine." Thomas said, letting himself calm down a bit. "How many, Darius?" he asked, trying to gain control of himself. "And this one was way past the Gone. How long has he been sick?"

"I have no idea." Darius said. "I noticed a couple of my men acting a little weirder than usual, but not many of us are immune. It happens all the time, usually they just act like even more assholes than they usually are, and if they get violent, we handle it. We usually never let 'em go from our camps or from our sights, I don't know why they would've brought him along if he was sick..." Thomas could tell he meant it. 

"Think he was one of the guys who went missing?" Minho asked with a huff. 

Thomas nodded, then panic struck him. Hard. "That means there's another one," he whispered to himself, his heart beginning to pound in his ears. He went shoving past the others and sprinting towards the farthest lake, assuming that's where Newt went. 

It took some time, but when he got there, all that was left there was a pair of bloody clothes. Thomas pulled at his own hair, his heart beating as he spun in circles for a minute, looking around madly.  _Calm down, calm down, calm down._ Some twigs broke behind him. With a growl, Thomas yanked the gun from his jeans and swung around. 

Newt screamed and jumped; clean and in new clothes. "Tommy, what the bloody hell!?" 

Thomas sighed with relief and dropped the gun, hugging him. "Oh God... You scared me." 

Newt hugged him back, patting his back. "I don't know why you're freaking out, but I'm sorry?" 

Thomas pulled away, grabbing his face and looking over it for a moment, just to help himself calm down after all that. "There's still one more," he breathed. "The Cranks are the men that went missing from Darius' men's camp. I saw your clothes and I thought..." 

Newt laughed a little, putting his hand on Thomas'. "Calm down, I'm fine, see? I left my clean clothes on a tree a bit a ways away so I wouldn't get anything on 'em. Had to go get 'em. Not to mention, I already killed one, I can handle myself, don't worry." 

"I know, I just..." he sighed again, hugging him once again. 

Gally and Minho came to a sliding stop, almost falling as they did so, panting. Minho put his hands on his hips, arching his back and throwing his head back, muttering relieved curses under his breath. Gally placed his hands on his knees, hanging his head, his shoulders rising and falling heavily. Newt grinned. "Jeez, I'm fine!" 

"Well I can see that now!" Minho shouted. 

Gally groaned and sat on the ground. "I hate running." he wheezed, laying back on the ground. "God I hate running." 

Newt laughed a little, looking at Thomas. "Idiots, all of you." he leaned forward and kissed him deeply. "But I do love you all." 

Minho was already recovering. "Yeah, we got that, the rest of us don't need a kiss though, thanks." 

A god-awful laugh tore through the woods. 

They all looked about each other's faces. Minho spoke first. 

"I think we're gonna have to handle that." 


	54. Chapter Forty-Seven- That's Now How You Play

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here is on-time update today, haha! 
> 
> There will be another late tonight, and depending on how much time I have, there may be two more ;) Enjoy my lovelies!   
> ***I do NOT own the Maze Runner series or any of the characters!***

"Just keep a close eye on him," Thomas explained to the Hunter and Builder standing before him, as attentive and tense as soldiers. "He hasn't been a problem, but that could change." 

They would've posted another Hunter to be on Darius-guarding duty instead of a Builder, but they had the Hunters doing so much, it wouldn't be practical. They told Brenda a Crank was on the loose and, seeing as Darius' men were on their way, to start having her Hunters train people to shoot. Thomas thought of Victoria; she needed to know. She needed to protect her and Alex... The other Hunters were either doing their very important job of feeding this entire place or were a couple hours out, spying on Darius' men and giving updates. 

They nodded. The Hunter was a young boy, but he seemed capable enough. The Builder was a somewhat small girl, but she was one of the best and strongest Builders they had, Gally assured them she could handle whatever came her way. And the way she held herself, and judging by her muscle, Thomas didn't doubt it. 

Thomas nodded, checking his gun as he wandered out of the Med-House. Minho, Newt, and Gally stood there, waiting. "Ready, sunshine?" Minho asked, glancing at him as he walked out. 

Victoria and Jade came rushing out. "Wait!" Victoria said, stopping short of running into them. "Be careful, okay?" 

Jade nodded, reaching out and holding Gally's hand. "Yeah. I'm going to stay with Victoria and Alex," she frowned and hugged Gally tightly. "So you know where to find me when you get back." 

Gally just blushed a little and hugged her back. "I'll be fine." 

She pulled away and nodded, pulling a little smile. "I know." She kissed him briefly, then stepped back. By the looks on their faces, Thomas felt like he was marching into war or something.

Minho threw his hands in the air. "Okay, enough!" he said, starting towards the woods. "Everyone needs to stop being gross and we need to get a move on before we lose daylight." 

Gally nodded, kissing Jade's forehead and following. Victoria kissed Newt on the cheek, then Thomas. "I'll see you when you get back." 

Thomas smiled. "Don't worry, it's just one Crank, we'll be fine." 

 

The woods always seemed to be eerily quiet, but it was much worse knowing something was in it.

They all walked silently, Thomas and Newt hand-in-hand, straining to hear. For a long time, about half an hour, the only sounds were leaves and sticks crushing beneath them. Then suddenly, there was a rush off to their right, the sounds of rustling leaves giving it away. All of them stopped and listened. Nothing. Minho cupped his hands over his mouth. "Come on out already!" 

"Come find me!" a voice laughed in the distance, coming from the left now. Or, was that the right?

Minho huffed. "We don't like that game." he said aloud. "Why don't you come play tag with us! You're it!" 

Everything went silent. 

Gally sighed. "I don't think he wants to play that game..." 

Minho looked around. "Did any of you catch which way that came from?" 

"Right," Newt said. 

"Left." Gally said. 

Thomas shrugged. "I think left?" 

Minho sighed into his hand. "This isn't going well. We need to work on our shucking hearing. Here, Newt and I will go right, you two shanks go left. Only walk out for twenty minutes. If you don't hear  _anything_ , come back right here," Minho said, drawing an X in the ground with his foot. "If you do hear something, go after it. If you lose it, come back."

Thomas hated the thought of splitting up, but it was only one Crank, and they needed to find it before it got back to the others. They had babies there, and no one knew if they were immune, they couldn't risk it. 

Thomas and Gally walked silently for a moment, Gally continuously checking his watch to see how long they'd walked. "10 minutes," he announced. 

Thomas nodded. There didn't seem to be anything out here. "I think we may have chosen the wrong direction." 

"No kidding." Gally said. 

"So how are things?" Thomas asked quietly so they could hear any differences. "With you and Jade, I mean. I never see you anymore, and if I do, you're with her," he added a grin. 

Gally laughed a little. "Yeah. I guess we're turning into you and Newt." 

Thomas nodded. "It's fun, right?" 

"So much fun." Gally said with a little laugh. "I really do love her." 

"And she loves you," Thomas said with a nod. He smirked. "Has she brought up anything about a baby yet?" 

Gally sighed. "She talks about it all the time. I can't tell if she wants one or to just steal other people's." 

Thomas laughed; Yeah, that definitely sounded like Jade. 

Just as silence hit again, there was a shout from far off. They stopped, freezing for a moment. A laugh. But it was far. Another shout. "Wait..." Thomas muttered. 

"I think I heard Minho," Gally said, reading Thomas' mind. They looked at each other, then turned and sprinted back. A gunshot. More laughter, shrill, like screaming. 

When they reached them, Newt and Minho were standing together, both of them holding out their weapons. The Crank stood, laughing and hiccuping, holding his bloody, shot arm. "That  _hurt_!" he said through giddy laughter. Suddenly, his smile fell and his face was pure rage. "That's now how you play the game." 

Thomas raised his gun, Minho and Newt looking over at him, pointing their weapons. When they realized it was him, they relaxed slightly. But their moment of distraction was enough, the Crank went slamming into both of them. They both hit the ground, landing on their backs. Both weapons were knocked from their hands, and Minho hit the ground in just the wrong spot, leaving him coughing and gasping as he tried to regain the wind that had been knocked out of him. Newt hissed, holding his bad leg, Minho had landed right on it. 

Either the pain subsided quickly, or Newt was just sucking it up, because he twisted around and began crawling for the gun, but the Crank threw himself on him. "No, no! We don't need that!" he said, grabbing Newt's bad leg with both hands and yanking him back, making Newt cry out. 

Thomas began to sprint forward, but Gally was already tackling the Crank to the ground. They rolled and wrestled for dominance for a moment, but Gally seemed to have it under control. Meanwhile, Thomas grabbed Minho and sat him up, patting his back. Being sat up almost instantly fixed it. He sucked in a long, shaky breath, his eyes watering. Newt had just reached the gun. Thomas glanced over, just in time to see the Crank pin Gally to the ground. 

The Crank laughed, ripping the bullet out of its own shoulder and throwing it aside. " _That's_ not how you play,  _this_ is!" he shouted, biting into Gally's shoulder. 

Newt twisted around, pointing the gun. 

The Crank threw its head back as it tore flesh from Gally's shoulder, which was the biggest mistake of its life. 

Newt fired expertly, the side of the Crank's head exploding. 

It fell to the side, off Gally. They all sat, stunned with all that had just happened, all of their lungs and hearts in a frenzy. For a moment, everything was completely silent.

Then the only sound was Gally's piercing wails. 


	55. Chapter Forty-Eight- Save Him

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Another update, my lovelies! 
> 
> Please do enjoy! ***I do NOT own The Maze Runner series or any of the characters!***

Minho went to Gally, and Thomas went to Newt. 

Newt was holding his leg oddly; trying to find a position that eased the pain. Thomas frowned as he dropped to his knees beside him. "Are you okay!?" 

"Yeah, just hurts," he whimpered, glancing at Gally. Thomas followed his gaze. There was so much blood, and a ribbon of flesh hung from the mangled wound. It was almost impossible to believe a human could do that. 

Gally groaned, sitting up with assistance from Minho. Thomas helped Newt up, he was attempting to put weight on his leg while Thomas kept him steady. Minho frowned. "We gotta get Gally back. He's immune to the  _Flare,_ not an infection from some pirate-gone-Crank's dirty mouth." 

Thomas nodded, glancing at Newt. "Can you stand?" 

Newt just nodded, looking better already. But when he walked over to help Gally, his limp was definitely much worse than it usually was. So bad that sympathy pains shot up his leg. 

The entire walk was somewhat miserable. Gally could walk, obviously, but he was stumbling--he wanted to pass out. Which was understandable, the Crank had seriously mangled his shoulder. He whimpered and groaned the entire way, and Thomas couldn't help but stare at the hanging flesh in shock. The Crank didn't just bite him, it bit him and tore at him like a rabid dog. 

On the other hand, Newt continually fell behind, and Thomas would stop and wait for him to catch up. He wasn't seriously injured or anything, and probably would've been fine much sooner and in much less pain if it had just been Minho falling on his leg; but on top of that, the Crank had attacked and grabbed at Newt's leg, which definitely didn't help. 

It felt like hours, but when they did finally make it back, they headed for the Med-House. They didn't get there before Victoria and Jade, who was holding Alex, came sprinting out. Jade's smile fell so fast when she saw the blood. "Gally!" she cried, running forward. 

Jade hugged him with one arm, holding Alex with the other. Gally panicked. "Get off me!" 

She stepped back nervously, looking like she'd just been slapped in the face. Gally looked a bit guilty, but he continued; "I got bit by a Crank, get Alex away from me!"

Thomas hadn't even realized. 

Jade scurried back, turning Alex towards her and looking all over her. She rubbed at something on her face, and Thomas was sure it was blood... Victoria threw her hands over her mouth, her eyes filling as she watched; she understood. They all did. They all just stood there, staring. 

She'd been exposed. She could be sick. 

 

Darius was awake, but he stared off miserably. 

He jolted when he saw them, though, as if he'd been asleep. He glanced between them. "Geez, what happened?" he asked, his voice sounding painfully heavy, his eyes stopped on Alex and remained there, staring somewhat longingly. 

Thomas ignored him, quickly helping Gally onto a bed. Dr. Smith was out in a second. "What the hell?!" 

"Gally got bit really bad," Thomas said. "And Alex... She was right by the wound. Some of the blood got on her face, I-I dunno if any got on her mouth or near her eyes, I--" 

"Calm down," Dr. Smith said, turning to Jade, who stood there, holding her. "Go sit her down." he glanced at Newt and noticed his leg shaking. "You, sit down too. Everyone just sit down and chill out," Dr. Smith said, somehow diffusing this mess of a situation. 

Victoria and Jade sat with Alex, two beds away from Darius. Gally was directly next to him, and Newt and Thomas sat on the other side. Minho leaned in the doorway, watching stressfully. 

Dr. Smith nodded. "There. Now. Alex, we can't do anything about her. We just have to watch and see what happens, but I don't... I can't cure the Flare," he said somewhat solemnly. "That being said, though, I want her in here everyday at least once a day. I want to keep an eye on her." 

Dr. Smith turned to Newt. "You wait there, I'm going to deal with Gally, and then we'll take a look at your leg."

And with that, he turned to Gally and began swabbing and cleaning at the wound. Thomas glanced at Darius to see if he still was staring at Alex, but he wasn't. He was staring ahead, looking dizzy. Or nauseous, maybe both.  _Does he have the Flare? Is it really just an infection?... Has he had the Flare? Did he have it when he got here? Is that why he is the way he is, or is his mental state just damaged from circumstance?..._ Thomas' mind wouldn't stop running. 

Until Newt whined and grabbed at his leg. Thomas frowned, wanting to wrap his arm around Newt, but not with Darius there. "Are you sure you're okay?" 

"Yeah," Newt breathed. "My bone pretty much shattered when it first happened, and it obviously didn't heal right, since the limp, but I think it's not as strong anymore. It just hurts..." 

Thomas frowned, he felt helpless. Every now and then, Newt would get aches in his leg. And that was easy, just rub his leg and cuddle him, and bam, problem solved. But this was different. It wasn't an ache, it was actual pain--he'd been actually hurt. And Thomas couldn't just fix that. 

Everyone sat in exhausted silence until Dr. Smith had gotten Gally's wound under control. A quick cleaning, stitching and wrapping, and Gally already looked better. He walked over and knelt before Newt, running his hand up Newt's leg, applying pressure as he did so. Newt winced sharply, but he didn't fight him. "Nothing's broken. If there are any surface fractures or anything like that, there's nothing I can do. But..." he felt up Newt's leg a bit more, peering up at Newt. "Your bone is so weak here, what did you do before all this?" 

"I fell from pretty high up," he said smoothly. Which technically wasn't a lie. 

Dr. Smith nodded. "I'm going to give you some pain pills, because I'm almost certain there's either deep-tissue bruising, or a surface fracture on the bone. Other than that, you should be alright to walk on it, it'll just hurt a bit for a day or two. Shouldn't last long. But you should try and rest as much as possible; the less you walk on it, the quicker it'll heal." 

Dr. Smith quickly looked over Alex, wiping her down with disinfectant dabbed onto a wash cloth. Much to Thomas' dismay, he wiped down her face, and there was still the slightest, faintest stain of red on the cloth. He looked at it disapprovingly, tossing it. "I think she had some along her mouth," Dr. Smith said, tracing his gloved hand along her lips. She laughed and he smiled at her as he continued. "We can only wait to see what happens now." 

Suddenly, Darius groaned, leaning back against the bed. He looked sluggish all of a sudden; it was almost a shock to see him awake and not grinning. Dr. Smith walked over, helping him lay back down and winced. "You're pale as a sheet," he muttered, he pressed a hand to him, looking over him. Something was bothering him. He took Darius' blood pressure and checked several other things before he frowned deeply. "Oh my God..." he muttered, sprinting into his office. 

"What?!" Thomas asked, getting to his feet.  _He's infected. He has the Flare, doesn't he?_

"He has Sepsis!" he shouted, running back with an IV bag of clear fluid, and then an empty one. He turned and looked at Thomas, very seriously. "You need to decide right now if he can be trusted enough to save his life." 

Thomas recoiled, glancing at Newt, and then Minho. "What?" 

"He has Sepsis. It's a body's overreaction to an infection in the bloodstream. I had a feeling that was where his infection was, but I didn't think he'd get Sepsis..." he shook his head. "Regardless, I need to give him a blood transfusion. I am a type O, I can give to anyone, I don't mind giving him my own blood, but you need to decide now. If you don't want him to live, now's the time. His organs can start shutting down soon, and that can be that." 

Thomas glanced at Newt, then Minho again. Minho walked in hesitantly. "Should we... save him...?" 

Newt looked unsure. "Are we really going to ask Dr. Smith to give some of his own blood for this? For Darius?" 

Thomas hesitated. "But Darius is... different now, isn't he? You still don't see it?" 

"I see him trying to make us think that," Newt said, then glanced at Darius. There were touches of yellow on his skin. Something about that made Newt's resolve crumble, disturbing him. "But organ failure? We can't let him die like that..." 

Thomas looked to Dr. Smith, his head spinning. This choice would change everything. He swallowed hard.

"Save him." 


	56. Chapter Forty-Nine- Definitely Sick

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello my dearest lovelies! 
> 
> I know I don't really have a "schedule" for updates, but I do have to apologize at how crazy that schedule has been! For this story, at least, I always manage to update, but for my other one it's usually late because I have to have time to reference the book, whereas with this story, I can write it while I'm out of the house if I wanted to because it's just my writing--and oh boy, it's chaos XD But anyway! Please do enjoy!   
> ***I do NOT own The Maze Runner series or any of the characters!***

Thomas was up before Newt's alarm, and he turned it off. 

Whether Newt wanted to or not, he was going to rest all day, and Thomas would make sure of that. He sat up and looked at the sleeping figure beside him and smiled. He reached over and gently rubbed his leg for a moment. Newt stirred, humming as he did so. He reached down and grabbed Thomas' hand, forcing him to lay back down beside him. Thomas laughed. "Well good morning." 

Newt kept his eyes shut but he smiled. "Good mornin'." 

Thomas kissed him, crawling on top of him as he did so. When he pulled away, Newt just glared, grabbing Thomas' shirt and trying to yank him back into the kiss. Thomas didn't budge, making Newt whine in response. Thomas grinned. "Nope, I gotta go." 

"You're such a bloody tease," Newt muttered, releasing him. 

Thomas laughed and kissed his forehead. "You should go back to bed."

Newt began to sit up. "Well I gotta go with you-" 

Thomas laid him back down. "No way, you're gonna stay here and rest. Dr. Smith said to stay off your leg, remember?" 

Newt sighed heavily and laid back. But apparently his leg was bothering him because he didn't argue, which he usually most definitely would do. Before Thomas left, he dotingly made sure Newt took his pain pills, then he was off. 

He did his usual morning routine, and met up with Minho. "I think we're gonna have to go back to shifts," Minho said, crossing his arms. 

Thomas groaned. "He's unconscious. And he doesn't seem dangerous, do you think we need them?" 

"I think we should keep them. Until he's up and around and can get out of bed, so we can see how he is out here, around all these people." Minho said. "Not to mention, we can't keep a Hunter and a Builder posted on him forever. This isn't their responsibility." 

Thomas nodded. He could hear gunshots in the distance. For a moment, he was panicked, then Minho just waved his hand dismissively. "Target practice," he explained. 

Thomas let himself relax. "Have you been by the Med-House yet?" 

Minho shook his head and they started that way. 

When they got there, that Builder from the other day stood, leaned against a wall. She looked bored, and slightly disgusted. Dr. Smith sat on the bed beside Darius, the both of them connected with a confusing amount of tubes. There was one in Dr. Smith's arm, connected to an IV bag that was filling with blood, which had a tube hanging near Darius like it'd been in Darius recently. Another was in Darius' arm, hooked up to another IV bag that was filling with blood. And another on Darius' arm, hooked up to an IV bag with clear fluid in it. Minho walked over and whistled. "What kind of human experimentation is this?" 

Dr. Smith grinned, he looked tired. "Blood transfusion." 

Minho leaned against the wall beside the Builder. They both started muttering things to each other, and Thomas hadn't really noticed before, but it seemed Minho knew her pretty well. 

Thomas sat on the bed beside Dr. Smith. "Is he gonna live?" 

"I think so." Dr. Smith answered. 

And for some reason, hearing that confirmation, Thomas suddenly regretted all of this. Regretted bringing him here, letting himself trust him, saving him. And he had no idea why.

Minho cleared his throat and held up Thomas' ring. "Found this in my house." 

Thomas had almost forgotten about it. It seemed like weeks since Darius had shown up and Newt had thrown it under Minho's bed. Thomas took it, and for a brief moment, considered just wearing it. Darius was out cold. But something got the better of him and he pocketed it. 

Thomas watched as Dr. Smith pinched the tube connected to his arm and removed it. It made Thomas kind of sick. He put a quick bandage over himself, then pinched off the tube that was drawing Darius' blood. Thomas watched, slightly disgusted, as Dr. Smith stabbed the tube he had just had in his own arm into Darius'. 

Minho read his mind. "This is crazy gross." 

Dr. Smith laughed. "It kind of is." 

"Think you can keep an eye on him for a bit until Thomas and I come by?" Minho asked, seeming more than ready to leave. 

Dr. Smith nodded, rubbing his eyes. 

Thomas felt physically sick thinking about having all those things inside him, but he wished he could help relieve some of the stress on Dr. Smith. But watching the blood begin to empty from the IV bag into Darius was enough to send him scurrying out. 

Minho, Thomas, and the Builder walked outside. Thomas frowned. "My arm hurts just looking at that." 

Minho nodded. "Yeah, no kidding," he muttered, rubbing his arm. 

The Builder nudged Minho's arm. "I should be going," she said. 

Minho nudged her back somewhat playfully, maybe even affectionately, and they both smiled at each other. She ran off and Thomas walked up, copying them, and nudged Minho. "What's that?" 

"What's what?" 

"That. You two. What's that?" 

Minho turned to face him, dead in the eye. "Are you sure you want to know?" he asked, suddenly serious. 

Thomas nodded a bit, not sure anymore. Minho leaned in close, cupping his hands around Thomas' ear and whispering: "It's... None of your business." 

Thomas sighed heavily. "That's not fair." 

"It's totally fair," Minho replied, looking proud of himself. 

"What's her name?"

"Yvonne." 

Thomas nodded. "How old is she?" 

"19." 

Thomas grinned. "Favorite color?" 

"Mint green." Minho paused. "What does this have to do with anything?" 

Thomas smirked. "Nothing. Just that you seem to know her pretty well. You guys must talk a lot." 

Minho glared, letting out a groan in response. But Thomas noticed the color on his cheeks. He'd been caught. "Well Thomas, as fun as it is to stand here and look at your ugly face, I gotta go," he said, turning and rushing off. 

Thomas chuckled, feeling quite proud of himself. He walked to Victoria's house, knocking. She opened up, and she looked terrible. Her eyes were dark and her lids heavy, like she hadn't slept all night. "Victoria?" Thomas asked worriedly. "What's wrong?"

Victoria yanked Thomas inside, shutting the door behind her quickly. "Alex has been sleeping all day. I've been staying awake with her, to see if anything changes, but she..." 

"What?" Thomas asked, walking to the crib. 

She laid there in the crib, sleeping peacefully. Then Thomas noticed what was scaring Victoria much. 

Right there, in the corner of her mouth, was a sore. 

"That could just be a coincidence," Thomas blurted. 

Victoria sat on her bed, running her fingers through her hair. "Could it?" 

Thomas frowned, never taking his eyes off Alex. "Have you taken her to Dr. Smith's yet?" 

"No," Victoria said. "I don't want to hear it." 

Thomas turned around, but still lingered by the crib. "Victoria, you have to take her." 

"Why!?" Victoria shouted, getting to her feet. "So he can tell me she's got the Flare!? I don't want to hear it!" 

"No, so he can tell you that these sores mean nothing, and you're keeping yourself up at night for no reason!" 

"And what about all the sleeping?" Victoria snapped, hands on her hips. "You and I both know she's active. She barely even sleeps during bed time, and now she's been sleeping all night and all day." 

Thomas hesitated. "Well..." 

Victoria nodded, plopping back on the bed. "Exactly." 

Thomas wouldn't accept it; he wouldn't accept that she had it. "Last I checked, sleeping and cold sores weren't signs of the Flare. What if she's sick? What if she has an infection from the contact with Gally's blood? Victoria, you need to take her in. If it's something that can be fixed, it needs to be fixed." 

Victoria hung her head and sighed. "Fine. But you're coming with me." 

 

"Well, she's definitely sick," Dr. Smith said over Alex's wailing. 

Alex smacked at his hands, her little hands balled into angry first. Her face was flushed red, and she kept wailing and kicking and crying like Thomas had never seen before. Dr. Smith had her in his lap, opening her mouth and peering inside, doing the same to her eyes and ears. "But," he said with a shrug, finally letting the child be. She still tantrumed, though. "This doesn't happen to people with the Flare. At the same time, she's a baby, she could be more sensitive to it? And it's not like we can really gauge her mental stability, she's a baby." he sighed, looking somewhat defeated. "I have no idea yet. Though... It's not an infection. And there's no way it can be a coincidence she's getting sick after she came into contact with Gally's blood..." 

Thomas' heart fell and his throat went dry. Suddenly things seemed so bleak. 

Dr. Smith noticed the look on the Thomas' face and scrambled to say something positive: "But you know, her brain isn't even finished developing. She might not even be able to get it." it was a bit half-hearted, though. 

Finally, Alex calmed. She looked at Thomas, her face wet with tears. She definitely didn't look happy, but still held out her hands to Thomas, and Thomas scooped her up and held her close.  _You don't have the Flare._

_You can't. Not you._


	57. Chapter Fifty- Agitated and Sick

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Another update tonight! (Super late, I know)
> 
> Today was a little crazy and busy! And I workout everyday, but am getting really sick. Yet, I still did my workout... I regret it... XD But please do enjoy, regardless of my pain, haha!   
> ***I do NOT own the Maze Runner series or any of the characters!***

Thomas sat around with Victoria for a long time.

Alex was sick, and this was bad news. Thomas didn't really want to leave Victoria alone at all, she looked so sad. Though, once it started getting dark, Thomas headed back home to Newt. When he got home, Newt was just sitting there, staring off, bored. He smiled when Thomas came in. "Hey Tommy." he frowned before Thomas had the chance to say anything. "What happened?"

Thomas sighed, sitting on the edge of the bed. "Alex is sick... Dr. Smith doesn't know if it's the Flare or not, he says we can't tell yet."

Newt frowned, shifting so he was on his knees behind Thomas. He hugged him from behind, kissing the back of his head. "She's gonna be fine, you know that."

Thomas sighed, hanging his head. "I don't know that."

Since it was now exposed to him, Newt kissed the back of Thomas' neck instead. "Sure ya do." he smiled against the nape of it. "We raised her after all, didn't we? If nothing else, she was tough enough to survive being our first kid, right?"

Thomas laughed. "You're right. We were good first-time parents, right?"

Newt sat back so Thomas could turn to face him, which Thomas did happily. "I think so," he said, smiling and leaving a kiss on Thomas' cheek. "We didn't even drop her."

"Or lose her," Thomas added.

Thomas laughed again, pushing hair out of Newt's face. Newt giggled slightly. "So, anything else of interest?"

Thomas sighed thoughtfully. "Hmm. Darius' men are a bit closer, but still about two hours out. Oh!" he smirked and nudged Newt a couple times. "Minho has a girlfriend."

Newt's face lit up. "Really?"

"Well no. But he likes someone." Thomas said with a shrug. "Close enough."

"When Minho 'likes' somebody, they date for a week and then that's it." Newt said with a sigh, though their was fondness for their friend in it.

"No, no! He knows her favorite color."

Newt laughed. "Well that makes it legit," he leaned on Thomas' shoulder. "But who knows, maybe it is. That'd be kinda nice, huh?"

"I think so," Thomas said with a nod, putting his arm around Newt and looking down at him affectionately. "How's your leg?"

Newt moved it around a bit. "It's fine, you were more worried about it then I was," Newt said teasingly. 

Thomas nodded, running his hand up Newt's leg dotingly. "Well of course! I don't like to see you in pain," he said, kissing his nose. Newt smiled, placing a hand on Thomas' face. "I know." he frowned. "Are you worried?" 

"About what?" Thomas asked, laying on his back on the bed. 

Newt crawled over and seated himself on Thomas' lap. Thomas bent his knees, serving as a back-rest for Newt. "Ya know. Everything, I suppose. Darius, and Alex, and Darius' men... Do you have this feeling something is gonna go bad?" 

"Whatever it is, we'll handle it," Thomas said confidently, nodding. Then thought about the way regret had washed over him when he saw Darius being saved. Curious, he glanced at Newt. "So what is it about Darius that gives you such a bad feeling?"

Newt sighed. "Tommy, I know he seems all different and happy-sunshine, but I'm not buyin' it. You know what he did to those girls. What he's probably done to lots of other people; He's probably killed more people than we thought possible. Just 'cause he's suddenly actin' less nuts doesn't mean he actually is." 

Thomas nodded a bit, and Newt was right, there was no denying the things he'd done. "But maybe it was the environment? The people he surrounded himself with? Maybe his mental state was weak, and everything around him was just toxic. Maybe now he can make a turn-around? He seems to want to..."

Newt frowned a little, then shrugged. "I guess so. He does seem less terrible." 

Thomas pouted. "But he still badgers you, doesn't he?" 

Newt rolled his eyes. "Of course he does. Let's not go askin' for miracles." 

"Should we... tell him? About us?" Thomas asked, sitting up. 

Newt didn't budge from his lap. He glanced off, looking thoughtful. "I don't know... I don't think it could hurt. If it wasn't for those girls lettin' us know that we should hide it, he'd already know anyway." Even as Newt said it, though, he looked uncomfortable. 

Thomas kissed him, grabbing his face. "Hey. I am worried." he shrugged. "But I also know we're gonna be fine. We've been through so much, there's nothing that can stop us now." 

Newt giggled, resting his forehead against Thomas'. He grinned. "Nothin'," he confirmed, then kissed him deeply. 

Thomas happily led them back to the bed, their kiss never breaking. 

 

Newt was up and around the next morning. 

His limp was still slightly more dramatic than usual, but he was managing. Not to mention, shifts were back on. The order remained the same; Minho for four hours, Thomas for four hours, and Newt for four hours. Yvonne offered to be part of the cycle, but Minho insisted it was too dangerous. Gally did too, but Minho decided against it. He was a Builder, and he should focus on that. 

Thomas sat in the Med-House during his shift, sitting with Dr. Smith, who was transfusing more of his blood. 

"How long do you have to do that?" 

"He's looking much better, I think today might be it," he said with a nod. "The antibiotics and clean blood are really helping him out. Not going to lie, though, it's been a bit draining on my end." 

Thomas frowned. "Yeah, I'd imagine so..." he looked over Dr. Smith to Darius. "So when do you think he's gonna wake up?" 

"Um. A day or two," Dr. Smith said thoughtfully, then glanced at Thomas. "When he gets up, is he staying here? Or is he going back with his men? Are we going to let him stay here?" 

Thomas hesitated. He didn't know. 

"Because if he's staying," Dr. Smith started, "he needs to get out of bed and get a job around here. He'll get bed sores if he stays too much longer. He's a physically fit man, but laying in bed all the time won't help him." 

Thomas nodded. "We'll see what happens..." 

A silence settled for little more than a minute or two, then the doors crashed open. 

Victoria came running in, screaming and panicking. Alex was in her arms, coughing and choking, only the whites of her eyes showing. Dr. Smith ripped the IV from his arm and rushed over. "What happened?!" 

"I don't know! She was napping, then she just started crying," she looked at him, shaking her head. "She sounded like she was under water." 

Dr. Smith cursed loudly, he sprinted into his office, retrieving a rather thick tube with something resembling a bubble on the end. Much to Thomas' horror, Dr. Smith began shoving it down Alex's throat. Thomas recoiled, he could see the tube going down her throat. "What are you doing!?" 

"Draining her lungs, she has fluid in them," he said, somewhat calmly. 

Victoria shrieked, running into Thomas' arms. Thomas wished he could say he held her and was brave, but he just held her close and turned both of them away. He couldn't look at that; and the horrible, strangled sounds Alex was making only made it more terrifying. 

Then things were calm. 

He glanced over his shoulder, Alex was lying on her tummy, a puddle of fluid leaking from the tube. She was completely still, and Dr. Smith squeezed the bubble-like part of the tube. He waited about ten seconds, then went at it again. After about three squeezes, she suddenly began squirming and crying. Thomas sighed in relief. Though he looked away again when Dr. Smith began sliding the tube out of her throat. 

Dr. Smith picked her up, patting her back and bouncing her a bit. "When she sleeps, she might not like it, but try to keep her on her stomach." 

Thomas hadn't gotten a good look at her until now, and he wished he hadn't. 

She was so pale, except her red, angry cheeks. Her knuckles were white, constantly keeping those little hands into fists. Her brow was furrowed so hard her skin was white around it. Snot bubbled around her nose, and her eyelashes and eyes had crust along them. She looked miserable. 

"She's been so mad lately," Victoria muttered. 

"Agitation is a sign of the Flare," Thomas replied without thinking. 

Victoria looked at him like he'd just hit her in the face. Thomas panicked. "Oh no, I was just--" 

Victoria just shook her head. "I know, Thomas," she said, looking miserable. They both looked to Dr. Smith who just glanced aside.

"Does she have the Flare?" Victoria asked, her voice suddenly strong. 

Dr. Smith hesitated. "Well, I can't be certain--" 

"Do you  _think_ she has the Flare?" Victoria demanded. 

Dr. Smith stopped bouncing Alex, swallowing hard. 

"Yes." 


	58. Chapter Fifty-One- Julia and Alex

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello lovelies!   
> First update of the day, enjoy!! 
> 
> ***I do NOT own the Maze Runner series or any of the characters!***

Alex was staying in the Med-House now.

It'd been two days since she had her lungs drained for the first time. She had to have them drained another three times. Dr. Smith decided that she ultimately would be safer on constant watch.

Which meant Dr. Smith didn't go home either; he didn't mention it, but Thomas noticed the blanket in his chair and the look of unsatisfying sleep on his face.

Darius' sleep was lighter now. He was fine; his leg was healing nicely, his skin was the color it was supposed to be, and his blood was clean. Thomas wondered just how much of that blood was actually Darius' now; probably not much, if at all. It was an odd thing to think about. And Dr. Smith assured he was taking proper precautions to be giving away so much blood, but he looked at least ten pounds thinner.

During Thomas' shift, he insisted for Victoria to go home. She spent all her time in the Med-House now, and it didn't look like she slept much at all. She argued briefly, but was probably glad to be able to sleep in her own bed.

Newt sat with him; his shift wasn't for another three hours, but he sat there, holding Alex, looking over her sleeping face worriedly. "I'll watch her on my shift, too, so Victoria can get some bloody sleep. Poor girl."

Newt sat on the same hospital bed as Thomas, his legs dangling off one edge, and Thomas' on the other. Their backs met in the middle and they leaned against each other. It had been a tiring past couple days. Alex was sick, Darius was still out, and his men were getting a little closer everyday.

The only time Alex wasn't mad was when she slept. Not even Newt would calm her down anymore.

Gally and Jade walked in. Jade came and visited often, looking sad every time she did. Newt handed Alex over, and Jade just cradled her close, swaying. Gally came and sat on the bed across from Thomas. "You don't look like you're sleeping too good."

"I'm not," Thomas said with a sigh. "This is all so exhausting. And with these shifts, I only get four hours anyway."

Gally shook his head. "You guys should let me take a shift; the Builders aren't doing much now anyway, all of it can be handled by the others..."

Thomas just shook his head. "We already decided we wouldn't assign this to people who have other jobs. We can handle it."

Gally glanced at Jade, then Thomas. "So what does Dr. Smith say now?" he asked, lowering his voice slightly.

Thomas glanced aside. "If she doesn't become less angry and sick within the next couple days, there isn't much hope. Dr. Smith thinks this is some kind of Flare that has changed in Alex's system since she's a baby and since she's around the Immune so much. Hence the extra symptoms."

Gally clamped Thomas' shoulder. "Well if it's a different form of the Flare, who says she has to experience the same fate? Maybe she's just gonna be sick and get over it."

Thomas nodded slightly. "Best case scenario." Thomas said solemnly, not believing it for a second. She had the Flare, and she would succumb to it.

Newt reached behind him and pinched Thomas' ear. Thomas winced and leaned forward to escape Newt. "Ow!"

"Stop being so damn negative," Newt said simply. not even bothering to turn and look at Thomas.

Thomas rubbed his stinging ear, but he smiled.

 

After his shift, Thomas slept like he hadn't in the past couple days.

He only awoke briefly to Newt crawling into his arms after his shift, then went right back to sleep. And when he awoke for his next shift, he felt alright. Somehow, Newt pinching his ear seemed to make a difference.

He spent an embarrassingly long amount of time trying to untangle from Newt and crawl over him without waking him. Sleep was precious these past couple days, he was careful not to disturb it.

Thomas wandered through the chill of early morning over to the Med-House. Minho was totally asleep, but Yvonne was there, sitting on the edge of the bed he slept on. Victoria was there as well, holding Alex in her arms. Thomas glanced in Dr. Smith's office, he was asleep in his chair; which Thomas couldn't imagine was comfortable, but he was glad to see him getting some sleep.

Thomas walked over to Minho and Yvonne. "Please don't tell me he made you come here so he could sleep on his shift."

Yvonne laughed. "No, no, I came here on my own," she glanced at Minho and rolled her eyes, smiling fondly. "He was asleep when I got here."

Thomas smacked Minho on the leg, making him jump. "Go get some sleep in an actual bed," Thomas said.

Minho sat up, rubbing his eyes. He looked a bit confused and disoriented, but when he saw Yvonne, he blushed slightly. "When did you get here?"

"Don't worry about it," she said simply, helping Minho on his feet. "Now do as Thomas said."

Minho just half-walked, half-stumbled out of the Med-House, Yvonne following. He was so much like a little kid sometimes it was hilarious. He looked at Victoria. "You should do the same."

"I slept okay last night..." she said, but the look on her face betrayed her.

Thomas walked over, taking Alex, and Victoria didn't argue. She just smiled and headed out. Thomas laid Alex down on her little bed of pillows, putting the blanket around her. He walked to the bed beside Darius and sat down, looking at him. He was tossing, and his eyes darted under his eyelids. Thomas put his hand in his pocket, gingerly touching the ring in his pocket. He considered putting it on before Darius' eyes slowly opened, then he chickened out.

Darius put his hands over his face, muttering something. Thomas narrowed his eyes. "What?"

Darius repeated it, and it was just as quiet as last time. Thomas leaned forward, putting his ear to Darius' face.

"Where's Julia?" Darius slurred. "What did you do with her; where is she? She was right here. Where'd she go?" 

Thomas frowned. Before he could even pull away, Darius suddenly shot up, grabbing Thomas roughly by the shirt. The force and shock sent Thomas' legs out from under him, but Darius was so strong--he effortlessly held Thomas up just by the shirt. Thomas screamed in surprise, frantically grabbed at Darius' hands. Thomas' managed to get his feet back under him, struggling. Darius shook him so hard Thomas' head snapped back painfully. "Where is she!?" he screamed, his eyes swimming in delirium.

"Darius!" Thomas shouted, clawing and shoving at his hands, to no avail. "Snap out of it!" his voice sounded more terrified than he'd like to admit.

Darius stared at him for a long time, but he didn't look any less upset or enraged. Slowly, Thomas grabbed Darius' wrists and began pulling them off. Darius let him. Thomas laid Darius back down, and again, Darius let him. Darius pulled the covers up over his head, muttering something again, and then slipped right back into unconsciousness. Thomas let himself collapse, sitting on the floor, panting as his heart beat slowly began returning to normal.

He kind of felt like throwing up, and kind of felt like just going to bed. He did neither, just sat there, grateful he didn't have a heart attack. Grateful and surprised.

Everything was silent for awhile, until Alex started crying.

At first, Thomas thought nothing of it, but that was just it. It was just crying. She wasn't wailing or screeching, just crying. Softly, even.

Thomas pushed himself to his feet, glancing in Dr. Smith's office as he walked to Alex; he had managed to sleep through Darius' delirious shouting and Thomas' terrified screaming. Impressive.

Thomas walked to Alex, who had just sat herself up and was looking around, crying and sniffling. Thomas sat in front of her. "Hey," he said gently.

And when she looked at him, Thomas had expected to see that angry face she had on for the past couple days; he had expected to see her throw her angry fists around. But instead, she smiled. She reached out her hand and Thomas took it.

She giggled and tugged on it. "Dada!"

Thomas stared at her for a long time, dumbfounded. Then just laughed, tears filling his eyes. He scooped her up and held her close. "You're fine," he muttered, kissing her face all over, getting a giggle each time.

"You're really fine."


	59. Chapter Fifty-Two- Closer and Closer

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello lovelies! 
> 
> I wrote this pretty late, so if there's some typos or gramatical errors, please do forgive me! Regardless, enjoy! (Kind of a lame chapter, I know, next one will be better, I promise!) 
> 
> ***I do NOT own the Maze Runner series or any of the characters!***

"I think you're right, I think she's fine." 

Victoria and Thomas exchanged teary glances, then looked back to Dr. Smith. Dr. Smith looked thoughtful about it. "I wonder if she did have the "Flare" but perhaps is stronger to it? Whether that be from immune parents or the disease getting weaker; who knows? Maybe it was a whole new sickness, there's no way to tell." 

"That's kind of like what Gally said," Thomas remarked, mentally noting to tell him he was pretty much right. 

Victoria sighed in relief, hugging Alex close. "Oh thank God." 

Thomas smiled and kissed Victoria's head, then Alex's. He walked out of Dr. Smith's office, glancing at Newt. He sat on the bed beside Darius--it was his shift, but Thomas hadn't left yet. And now he was a bit worried about it; the way Darius had attacked him, whether he meant to or not, was a bit nerve-racking. 

Thomas walked over and sat beside him. Newt smiled, looking relieved. "I'm so glad she's okay," he said, resting his head on Thomas' shoulder. 

Thomas smiled into the top of Newt's head. "Me too." 

Newt grabbed Thomas' hand. "You should go get some rest or some breakfast or something." 

Thomas frowned. "Darius attacked me." 

Newt frowned, looking at Thomas, shocked. "What!? What did you do!? What'd he say?! Why'd he do that!?"

Thomas was a bit taken aback by the onslaught of questions, but he just laughed. "Newt, calm down!" he grabbed Newt's shoulders. "I'm fine! He wasn't in his right mind," he lowered his voice, "he mentioned Julia." 

Newt calmed down a bit, a new, subtler surprise on his face. "Oh? What'd he say?" 

Thomas shrugged. "He was asking me where she was like I had stolen her or something." 

Newt looked at Darius, who slept. Once again, it looked light. "Think he'll remember when he wakes up?" 

"Probably not," Thomas said. "And it'd probably be better not to ask about it, either."

Newt nodded in understanding. Thomas wanted to stay, but he couldn't deny his hunger. "Just be careful. If he wakes up and acts out, just protect yourself, okay?" 

Newt grinned and gave Thomas a quick kiss. "You worry too much, now get goin'." 

Thomas grinned, licking his lips. "You do know that kissing me is not the best way to get rid of me, right?"

Newt laughed, pushing Thomas away by his face. "You're hopeless." 

"Only when it comes to you," Thomas said, standing. He took Newt's hand and kissed it before walking off. He wasn't hungry anymore; he wasn't even tired. He just wanted to sit with Newt for awhile. But he knew that he needed to use his time to eat, and that Newt wouldn't let him stay, even if he tried. 

Thomas made his way to the cafateria, and grabbed a tray. He was going to go eat at home, but he noticed Minho, Yvonne, Jade, Gally, and Jorge sitting at a table. Thomas made his way over, sitting beside Minho. "How is he?" Minho asked. 

"He's gonna be up soon, no doubt." Thomas said, digging in. Okay, maybe he was hungry. 

Jade shuddered. "Ugh, it's scary to think about him here, and his people on their way... Do you think everything will work out okay?"

Minho sighed. "I want to say yes, but I have no idea." 

"Well, if it doesn't work out okay, we'll handle it," Yvonne said with a nod. Minho just smiled at her approvingly. 

Thomas occasionally nodded, but other than that, he didn't have much input into the conversation. He was too busy eating and focusing on getting back before anything went wrong. 

Apparently, he wasn't fast enough, because Brenda came rushing in. 

Minho groaned. "What now?" 

"They're close," Brenda said, lowering her voice. "They moved quickly, they're only about a half an hour out. We thought maybe they'd just come over here, but they set up camp and settled in..." 

Minho sighed, rubbing the side of his head, looking annoyed. "I guess we just keep waiting then." 

Brenda frowned. "Are you sure we shouldn't just send someone out there to talk to them?" 

Minho just shook his head. "Look, I'm sure it'd be fine. Maybe. And probably smarter to risk it and go talk to them, but I don't want anyone's lives endangered. If these weirdos come over here and ask to see Darius, that's fine. But if there's a chance they'll kill one of ours if we go talk to them, then it's not happening." 

Thomas couldn't argue with that logic. Plus, the thought of having to go talk to them was kind of annoying anyway. At least Darius wasn't so bad now that he was confined to bed, but his men were loud and obnoxious and looked like they were ready to kill someone just for the fun of it.  _Exactly how Darius looked when he first showed up,_ Thomas reminded himself. 

Brenda sighed, then glanced at Thomas. Thomas glanced away. He felt a bit bad, he had been ghosting her since he and Newt's fight. He knew it was mean, and that he and her were close friends, but he felt like talking to her would be a risk. Maybe part of him was mad at her for kissing him; maybe he just needed some time away from her. She didn't press him, just looked back to Minho. "I'll tell them to tell us when they're approaching." 

Minho nodded. "Figure out shifts, I want 24 hour watch on them."

Brenda nodded and rushed off. 

"This just keeps getting more stressful," Thomas mumbled, collecting all the empty trays at the table and walking off. 

He considered going to take a nap, but instead, he went back to go see Newt. If there was anything that could calm him down now, it'd be Newt. When he walked inside, Newt was just sitting on the bed, he smiled when he saw Thomas. "What're you doin', Tommy?" 

Thomas came and sat with him. "I would just rather be here than anywhere else." 

Newt grinned, hooking his finger under the neck of Thomas' shirt, guiding him forward. Of course, Newt didn't even have to pull him along, Thomas followed willingly. Newt pulled Thomas over him and kissed him. Thomas smirked against Newt's lips, kissing him back. 

They spent a long time just kissing, and Thomas was right, Newt calmed him down. 

Until, of course, Darius shot up and gasped. Thomas scrambled off of Newt and onto his feet, ready to act on instinct. Newt just stayed there, laying on the bed, but he had pulled out his knife so fast that Thomas didn't even see him do it. Darius just sat there for a moment, rubbing his eyes, then looked over at them. "How long...?" 

"A couple days," Thomas breathed, once again, almost having a heart attack from Darius. 

Newt sighed in relief, sliding his knife back into his boot. Darius just yawned. "Shit, no kidding?" he laughed, then tugged up his pant leg. His wound looked much better. He nodded a bit. "Well hey, look at that." 

Thomas swallowed hard, sitting back down on the bed with Newt. Now that he felt like he wasn't going to vomit his heart out, he got to business; "Your people are almost here." 

Darius grinned, stretching. "Wonderful. They sure are taking their time getting here." 

Thomas was a bit surprised. He wasn't sure what he was expecting, but part of him thought Darius would want to stay, but he seemed to have no problem with leaving. 

"If they try anything, we'll kill them," Newt warned. 

Darius smirked. "Brr, how cruel, doll face." he laughed, then waved his hand dismissively. "They know that, they're not going to do anything stupid without me." 

Thomas nodded. "Good... We'll hold you to that." 

Darius just smirked and folded his arms behind his head. "I would hope you would." 

 

When Minho's shift rolled around, they headed back home. 

"So what do you think?" Newt asked as they crawled into bed. "You think Darius is gonna pull something? Maybe when his men get back here?" 

Thomas thought about it for a moment. Darius' men were pretty sketchy. Darius was pretty sketchy, too. But somehow, Thomas didn't think so. He hadn't stirred up any trouble so far, and maybe that was just because he needed their medical assistance, but Thomas couldn't imagine he had any sinister plans or anything of the sort. "I don't think so." he said, shaking his head. "I think it'll be alright." 

Newt nodded a bit. "I'm gonna trust you on this, cause they should be here tomorrow." 

Thomas kissed his cheek. "Don't stress too much, okay?" Thomas leaned forward, kissing his jaw this time. "Just sleep and relax, everything's gonna be fine." 

Newt purred slightly, wrapping his arms around Thomas' shoulders. "Alright, alright, fine," he muttered, laying back. "Now take a nap with me." 

Thomas laughed, laying beside him. 

For now, they wouldn't stress. 


	60. Chapter Fifty-Three- Fire and Smoke

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello lovelies! 
> 
> First update of the day (a little later than usual, I know), but please do enjoy! There'll be another along shortly!! 
> 
> ***I do NOT own The Maze Runner series or any of the characters!***

Darius was doing much better. 

He was more than glad to eat and walk around the Med-House. Dr. Smith wanted to continue to keep an eye on him to make sure the Sepsis was completely out of his system, though, so Darius wasn't allowed to leave the Med-House. Which Thomas was fine with; he didn't exactly want Darius out and about with the others. 

 

"So you've never had a dog?" 

"Nope." Thomas replied for the thousandth time. It was impossible for Darius to grasp that he hadn't had any pets. 

"Not even, like, a fish?" 

"Nothing. No pets." 

"That's tragic." Darius said, shaking his head. "You should do yourself a favor and go get a fish." 

Thomas laughed a little. "I'll think about it." 

Newt wandered in, stretching. "My turn," he said, looking like he'd recently woken up. Which he probably had. 

Thomas nodded, standing and stretching as well. Four hours of just sitting there wasn't the most comfortable thing to do. "I'll make sure Minho shows up on time." he remarked with a little grin as he began heading out. 

Newt just waved and sat in the spot Thomas had just been in. 

"So what about you, doll face, ever have a fish?" 

Thomas rolled his eyes with a grin on his face as he walked out. Thomas knew he probably should've checked in with Minho, but first, he went to Victoria's. He let himself inside, as he usually did. Alex was happy to see him, grabbing at him as he walked in. Thomas picked her up; she was doing great. She had the occasional tantrum, but they only lasted a couple seconds and were few and far between. 

For the most part, she was back to her usual happy self. Victoria smiled. "So, how's Darius?" 

"Good as new," Thomas paused. "I don't know how to feel about that." 

"Well, has he done anything to worry about?" Victoria asked, sitting back on her bed. 

Thomas shook his head, bouncing Alex slightly. "No, he's been perfectly fine." 

Victoria shrugged. "Then what's to be so nervous about?" 

Thomas nodded, feeling a bit better. He couldn't understand why Newt was still so skeptical. Not that it was going to matter; his people would be here anytime. And once they were, he'd be gone, too. 

"Have you considered asking him to stay?" 

Thomas looked at her, surprised. "What?" 

"Well, I dunno. If he does better with us, then maybe..." her voice trailed as she shrugged. 

 _Ask him to stay?_ Thomas hadn't even considered. "I... No, I hadn't thought of it. I don't think Newt would like that. And I don't even know if I'd like that, actually." 

Victoria nodded a bit. "It's a weird situation." 

Thomas sat beside her. "What do you think? Do you think we should trust him?" 

Victoria looked off thoughtfully. "I don't know. I want to say no. But at the same time..." she just shrugged. 

Thomas just nodded. That pretty much summed up the way he felt about that, too. 

Just then, Thomas smelled something odd. "Do you smell that?" he asked, handing Alex over. Victoria took her, pausing. "No?" 

Thomas stood and walked outside, it was much more noticeable outside. Minho had Thomas by the shirt so suddenly, Thomas yelped. A lot of people had been scaring him senseless lately. "What's going on?!" 

Minho pointed towards angry, rolling black clouds. No, not clouds. Minho just started dragging him. "Fire." 

Smoke. 

"What?" Thomas asked, following willingly. Once they got closer towards the woods, and farther away from the houses, he could see it now. Bright, vibrant oranges and scalding reds peeking through the trees in the distance. 

"Yep. It's conveniently right where Darius' men's camp was. Best part? Their camp is nowhere to be found, neither are they." Minho growled sarcastically, stopping before it. 

Thomas stood, staring. He was right. Right where they had been, flames were crawling up the trees and spreading fast. Minho was barking orders at people. Thomas watched as the flames seemed to literally jump to more trees. It'd be here in no time; just standing where he was, he could warmth. "Minho, we've got to get this out." he muttered; Thomas was only ten minutes away from houses, this fire was way too close. 

Thomas looked up at the taller trees; most of the tops hadn't been touched yet, but several of them had splotches of fire on them. They all had ash on the tops. 

"No shit," Minho snapped. People were beginning to notice and panic. 

Minho grabbed Thomas' arm. "Spread the word, get people to use any container they can and fill it with water, we've gotta get this under control or we're screwed." 

Thomas nodded, but he glancing at all that fire, he didn't see how that was going to happen. The fire was mad and roaring and big, surely throwing buckets and bowls of water at that monster wouldn't make a difference. Though, he supposed they had no other choice. "What about Darius?" 

"Leave him, Newt's watching him. As far as I'm concerned, now that his people have pulled this stunt, he shouldn't exactly be trusted running around here either." Minho said, barely finishing his sentence before he was running off to help. 

Thomas sprinted about, relaying his message to people. Some people simply followed orders, ready to help. Others tried to ask questions that Thomas didn't have the answers to. The entire time, he couldn't help but not be that surprised. Did they really just expect these people to walk up and politely ask to see Darius? They were foolish to have counted on that. They should've went and talk to them when they had the chance. 

A loud crash sounded from behind him. The only other time he had heard something so loud was during the lightning storm, when the angry strikes had hit the ground and it had stolen away his hearing. At least now it was slightly farther away. Still, it was so loud, it made him throw his hands over his ears. 

He whirled around as some people shouted and screamed. One of the trees had been so badly burned near the base, it snapped. It was a tall tree, too tall. It came down and landed on one of their houses, crushing it. Thomas stared, stunned for a minute. 

Then the fire took hold of the remains of the building, and everything was chaos. 


	61. Chapter Fifty-Four- It's All My Fault

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Second update of the day lovelies, please do enjoy!   
> I guess this chapter is sort of surprising, so brace yourselves XD 
> 
> ***I do NOT own the Maze Runner series or any of the characters!***

A rush of adrenaline shot through him.

Quickly, he spread the word until everyone was sprinting about, throwing water onto the fire with any container they could get their hands on; buckets, bowls, drawers, even cups. In the midst of it, Brenda grabbed onto Thomas' arm. "Thomas, should we send Hunters to go look for them and kill them?" 

Thomas hesitated. He glanced at the fire on the crushed home; people were mainly focusing on that fire, and were starting to get it under control, but the fires in the forest still raged. "No, we need everyone we can get putting those fires out." he said. 

Brenda nodded and was gone as fast as she had showed up. Thomas put a hand over his mouth, coughing into it, not noticing just how much ash was falling until now. He looked around; everything was turmoil and chaos. A part of him really did want to storm out there and kill these people, and an even more irrational part of him wanted to take it out on Darius; it'd be so easy to blame all of this on him. But of course, he wouldn't. 

He ran into the Med-House briefly, getting Dr. Smith to help. Newt rushed over. "What's going on!?" 

"A fire, just stay here and watch Darius," Thomas replied quickly, then was off again. 

Though as he frantically ran about and helped; he thought of Newt. Being out there in all the panic and ash and heat was bad, but Thomas could only imagine how much worse it must be to just be stuck and have to wait, not knowing what was happening or how bad it was. He could clearly imagine Newt pacing about, dying to get out and do something. 

Though Thomas supposed he should focus on the task at hand. 

 

Minho and Thomas just laid side-by-side on the ground. 

The house that had caught fire was completely burned down, and the fire was completely gone, little more than a pile of ash and scorched wood; gray smoke puffing off its remains. 

"I bet my lungs are gray, now," Minho whined. 

"I can taste smoke," Thomas replied. 

The fire in the woods had been mostly reigned in. The Builders and Hunters were still working on it, and in about an hour, they'd send in a different group of people. The fire had been contained to one burnt clusters of trees; only about ten or so still burning. But a very large of their forest was now dead, and even though they tried to stay quiet about it so not to stress people out, Thomas could hear Hunters muttering about how most of the wildlife probably made a run for it. 

Minho coughed, and Thomas could've sworn he could see ash come out. "Those jackasses have really screwed things up," Minho muttered. He sounded angry, but looked too worn out to be angry. 

Thomas nodded. "Brenda asked to send some of her people to go find them and deal with them. I told her no; I thought the fire should be focused on." 

"Good call. Not to mention, we'd need to bring something like that to the attention of a Gathering, anyway," Minho said, wiping his eyes, ash rolling off his eyelashes. 

Thomas did the same. 

They managed to sit up, then ran their hands through their hair for awhile. Thomas watched the smoke bellow up from the remaining fire; throughout the heavy black smoke, there were streaks of gray, which was a good sign. 

"Newt's probably losin' his shuck mind." Minho said with a sigh, clearly not wanting to get to his feet. "We should probably go tell him what's up. And raise some hell with Darius." 

Thomas nodded. "He said his people wouldn't do anything stupid without him. If we had known this would've happened..." 

"Then we would've handled it sooner," Minho finished, pushing himself up. 

Thomas did so too, groaning. Minho led the way. "I don't know about you, but once I yell at Darius, I want a freaking nap." 

"Nice try," Thomas said. "Your shift is next." 

Minho put his hands over his face and screamed into them dramatically, making Thomas laugh. 

When Minho and Thomas walked in, they froze. 

For a moment, Thomas felt nothing. 

Darius and Newt were on the floor. Darius was on top of Newt, pinning both of Newt's hands over his head with just one of his own. Meanwhile his other hand rested just above the button of Newt's pants, getting ready to undo it. Newt was still fully clothed, but his shirt was pushed up a bit, exposing his torso. There was a thin but deep cut across Darius' cheek bone, and Newt's knife lay just a couple feet away from them. Newt's lip was split, and right eye was a deep red; it'd be black in no time. Darius glanced at Thomas, and for a moment he looked genuinely annoyed, but then just pulled that usual grin. "Horrible timing, kid." 

And then Thomas felt everything, all at once. 

The rage burning through him was so strong he felt almost calm on the surface. He felt blinded. Without the slightest hesitation, he stepped forward and kicked Darius square in the face with all of his strength--which was a lot. 

Darius' head snapped back violently, two of his teeth clattering to the ground. Darius crumpled to the floor, almost immediately unconscious. Then, without a second thought, Thomas pulled out his gun, pointed at Darius, and pulled the trigger. 

Dust from the ceiling sprinkling on Thomas' head and nose snapped him out of his blind rage. It took him a moment to realize that Minho had shoved Thomas' arm up at the last minute, making him shoot the ceiling instead of Darius. 

Minho yanked the gun from Thomas' hand. "What the  _hell_ are you doing?!" 

Thomas blinked back to reality, then was reminded of the rage bubbling up inside of him. "What the hell are  _you_ doing?!" he shouted, getting into Minho's Face. "Did you not just see what happened?!" 

Of course, Minho didn't back down. "Of course I did! But you can't just kill him, that's not our call to make!" he shouted. "What do you think Darius' men would do if they got here and found Darius dead?!" 

"Same thing they're gonna do when they get here and find him perfectly fine!" Thomas yelled, taking a step forward. 

Minho shoved Thomas hard; almost making him fall. "It doesn't matter, _it's not our call to make!_  We already decided to let him stay here without asking anyone else! We're not tyrants, Thomas. Can you imagine how our people would feel about us if we bring a corpse, shot in the head like an animal, out there without saying anything to them!? We don't get to decide who lives and who dies, not by ourselves." 

Thomas calmed down a bit. He just sighed and nodded. "Fine." 

Minho nodded, handing Thomas his gun back. "Now get Newt out of here, we'll have a Gathering in an hour to decide what to do with that piece of shit," Minho spat, and for the first time, Thomas noticed Minho's hands shaking with rage. 

Newt. 

Thomas whirled around to him. Newt was already on his feet, collecting his knife off the floor and sliding it back into his boot. Thomas rushed over to him, grabbing his face gently. "Are you okay!?" he asked, gingerly running his thumb across the split on Newt's lip. 

Newt winced, pushing Thomas' hands off him. "I'm fine," he said quietly, but he wasn't. He was pale and despite how hard he tried to hide it, his legs and his finger shook just enough for Thomas to notice. 

Thomas frowned, pulling him in and hugging him tightly. Newt just hugged him back a little. "Let's go home." 

Thomas nodded, taking his hand and pulling him out. 

When they got back, Thomas pressed a cloth to Newt's bleeding lip gently. Newt didn't look at him, even once. Thomas frowned deeply. "Do you want to talk about it?" 

Newt shook his head. "Not really, no." 

Thomas nodded a little, swallowing back his emotion. Even now, he had to fight the urge to go back there and kill him. "Did he do anything to you?" 

"Besides what you saw? No." 

"So he didn't actually..." Thomas' voice trailed. 

"What, rape me?" Newt snapped, suddenly mad. "No, Thomas!" Thomas recoiled slightly. Newt just sighed, softening. He hooked his index finger around Thomas' index finger. "I'm fine, Tommy. Just shut up about it for a bloody second." 

Thomas tossed the cloth aside, gingerly touching the bruise around his eye. Purple was already beginning to blossom on it. "I'm sorry." Thomas muttered. "This is all my fault." 

Newt shook his head. "What are you even talkin' about? How would any of this be your fault?" 

"I should've listened to you the first time." he said, glancing aside. "I've known you and loved you for all this time, and I didn't even listen to you. I dismissed everything you said and trusted some psychopath... Then I kept leaving you alone with him, and then this happened." 

"Tommy, I'm fine. Everything's fine. You didn't do this to me, this isn't your fault." he paused, then smiled a little. "You had faith in another person. Faith that they could change for the better. That's never a bad thing." 

Thomas sighed. "It was this time." 

"It wasn't." Newt replied. "It was still good. What _he_ did was bad, not you." 

Thomas looked up at him, his chest racked with guilt. "I love you." 

"I love you, too." Newt said, pressing his forehead against Thomas'. 

Thomas led them back on the bed. He pulled Newt in tight and just cuddled him silently for a bit. 

_"I have this awful feeling you're gonna kill me someday, kid."_

_I will._

 


	62. Chapter Fifty-Five- Darius' Fate

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello lovelies! 
> 
> I'm going to my friend's house tonight, then spending the night, and babysitting the next day. So only one update today, and then there won't be another one until tomorrow night! But please do enjoy! 
> 
> ***I do NOT own the Maze Runner series or any of the characters!***

When it was time for the Gathering, Newt was asleep. 

Thomas gently shook him. "Newt," Thomas said, pressing a kiss against the shell of his ear. "It's time for the Gathering." 

Newt just shook his head. "I don't want to go," he muttered sleepily. He also sounded a bit shaken up still. 

Thomas just nodded and crawled out of bed. Newt had already fallen back asleep, and usually Thomas would think that was adorable, but not now. Instead of noticing how cute he looked, he only noticed how the bruise on his eye had become a complete black eye now. And only making Thomas madder, Thomas noticed there were light purple bruises in the shape of Darius' fingers on Newt's wrists. 

Thomas grit his teeth, whatever calm he had collected was gone. Darius needed to pay. 

 

So he sat, waiting for the Gathering to begin, frowning at the empty seat beside him. 

"He didn't want to come?" Minho asked sadly. 

Thomas shook his head. "It's understandable... Who's watching Darius?" 

"Yvonne. Last I checked, though, he was still out cold. Who knows? Maybe you killed him," Minho said lightly, trying to lighten the mood with a cautious joke. 

Though Thomas didn't feel like laughing. "Hopefully." 

As the last few people were beginning to settle in, Thomas put his hand in his pocket, pulling out his ring. Without thinking twice about it, he put it on. He shouldn't have taken it off in the first place. 

"Alright, let's get this thing started." Minho shouted, quieting everyone down. 

"What's this about?" Gally asked, rubbing his eyes tiredly. The fire was pretty much gone by now, but everyone looked exhausted. Several people still had ash in their hair and smeared on their faces. Gally was one of them. 

Brenda nodded. "And where's Newt?" 

"That's kind of what this is about," Minho said. 

Several people looked panicked, like they had expected Minho to say he had died or something. But Minho told them what happened, and everyone looked at Thomas. Thomas just glanced away. Minho just sat back, a piece of paper and a pencil in his hand. He pointed the pencil at Thomas. "You first. What do you suggest we do with him and why?" 

"Kill him." Thomas said coldly. "We can't have someone like that around here. It was a mistake to ever let him in here in the first place." 

"Why not just exile him?" Jorge asked. "Send him back to his side of the island? Or throw them all back on their boat and send 'em onto open water?" 

"Because that doesn't work. Giving them their own side of the island hasn't kept them away so far. And I doubt they'll quietly get on their boat and leave." Thomas shook his head. "They're dangerous." 

Jorge frowned. "Well don't you think killing him is a bit extreme?" 

"Extreme?" Thomas repeated. He scoffed. "What, do you think I'm being biased because it was Newt he attacked? He could and would do that to anyone. We have  _kids_ here! If Minho and I had shown up just a couple minutes later..." his voice trailed as he let out a shaky breath, getting control over himself. 

Before he could continue speaking, Jorge nodded. "I see where you're coming from. And I think I'd vote for killing him too, but what about his people? The only reason we've avoided confrontation with them this long is because we feared that they'd attack us. They most definitely will if they find out we killed him." 

"They're going to anyways," Thomas said with a shake of his head. "It's best to forget everything Darius has told us. He's a liar." Thomas spat bitterly. He didn't know why he felt so betrayed, it's not like he should've trusted Darius in the first place. But he did. Which was one of his many mistakes. 

"So we're going to have to kill them, too?" Gally asked. "All of them?" 

Minho raised a hand. "Well, we'll prepare to fight them. Everyone knows how to shoot now anyway. But if we can get them to get on that boat and leave, there's no reason to kill all of 'em. But they can't be trusted on this island anymore. If they say no, we'll probably have to handle it." 

"Well in that case, why are we even discussing this?" Frypan spoke up. "If we're gonna have to deal with his people anyway, that piece of shit should be killed for what he did." 

Minho started going around, asking what everyone thought. Everyone agreed, until it made it to Brenda. "So are we just going to publicly execute him or something? We can't do that." 

"Did I  _say_ public execution?" Minho retorted. "We'll shoot him in the head, in private. And that's all." 

Thomas grimaced. He was hoping for something a bit more painful. 

Brenda nodded a bit. "Then okay, yes, I vote we should kill him." 

Minho nodded. "Alright, it's official. We'll spread the news and do it tomorrow night." 

Thomas nodded, and then was one of the first out. When he made it home, Newt was still sleeping. It was light, though, and when Thomas shut the door, Newt's eyes opened. Thomas walked over, sitting beside him on the bed. "Hey." 

"Hey," Newt yawned. "How'd it go?" 

"Good," Thomas said, pushing some hair back from Newt's face. "Darius isn't going to be a problem anymore." And for now, that was all Newt needed to know. Thomas would've been fine with telling him, but he had a feeling that Newt didn't really want to hear about Darius at the moment.

Newt simply nodded. Thomas frowned, running his fingers along the split in Newt's lip. It was already trying to heal. "How are you feeling?"

"I'm okay," Newt said with a nod. He grabbed Thomas' hand and held it to his chest instead. He noticed Thomas' other hand, and smiled. "You put your ring back on?"

Thomas nodded. "I shouldn't have taken it off in the first place."

Newt smiled, patting the bed, urging Thomas to lay down with him.  

Thomas smiled a bit, laying beside him. He kissed him softly, careful not to hurt him. He rested his forehead against Newt's. "I love you."

"I know ya do, you won't let me forget," Newt teased, wrapping his arms around him. "I love you, too." 

Thomas just held him close, soon falling asleep all tangled up together. 

 

And when he awoke next, it was to gunshots. 


	63. Chapter Fifty-Six- The Fight Begins

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello lovelies! 
> 
> I'm sorry, this was much later than I had anticipated! My best friend and I (this best friend is also the one I babysit for) stayed up all night watching Reign the other day (if you haven't seen it, I highly, HIGHLY suggest it) so when I got home today, I was gonna take a quick nap.   
> It was six hours long... Oops. XD   
> So this is later than I had said, but here it is lol! Even worse, I came up with a new, sad Newtmas fic idea that I kinda love, but I'm torn between just being patient and waiting a couple days to start it until I finish at least one of my current fics, or just starting it... I dunno, we'll see what happens XD 
> 
> ANYWAY. ENOUGH RAMBLING. ENJOY. ***I do NOT own the Maze Runner series or any of the characters!***

Thomas sat up in a panic. 

It was dawn; somewhat dark outside, but just light enough for Thomas to be able to see. 

He would've thought he had dreamed the gunshots if it weren't for Newt already sitting up beside him, looking just as confused. They focused; Thomas could hear shouts and commotion outside. "Something's going on," Thomas said. 

Just as he was going to jump to his feet, their door snapped open. 

Thomas didn't know what he had expected, but he hadn't expect one of Darius' men to be standing there, pointing a gun at them. Thomas threw himself onto Newt, forcing them both down to the bed, just in time to avoid the bullet that splintered the wall behind them. Thomas' main focus was making sure he and Newt didn't get shot, but apparently Newt had other ideas, because he began crawling over Thomas. 

Thomas tried to protest, but another gunshot sounded. For a moment, everything was still, and Thomas was sure Newt had been hit. But when he dared to look, Newt was just fine, knelt on the floor. Darius' man, however, had a knife in his throat. He shot his gun two more times, both bullets hitting the ceiling, before he crumpled to the floor and died right there. Thomas looked at Newt, startled. "Did you throw that knife at him?" 

Newt nodded. Thomas let out a breath. "You're fast." 

"Would've been faster if you hadn't tried to hold me down," Newt said, sounding almost amused.

Thomas almost smiled despite the situation. 

Quickly, they crawled out of bed, pulling on their boots. Now that their door was open, it was apparent there was absolute chaos outside. Screaming, yelling, laughing, gunshots--overall chaos. Newt and Thomas retrieved their guns, and of course, Newt retrieved his knife as they rushed out. 

Thomas cursed. 

Darius' men were there. Everywhere. Shooting and fighting. They were trying to take over, or maybe just kill everybody. Either way, it was no good. Everyone was up and everyone was fighting, Thomas couldn't focus on anything. 

"It's a good thing we taught them to bloody shot," Newt muttered. 

Thomas nodded. "No kidding." 

There was nothing else they could do, so they ran into it, helping anyone they could. It was a disaster, and keeping an eye on Newt in the midst of it was damn near impossible. 

Gunshots echoing from the Med-House stole Thomas' attention. Newt noticed. "Tommy, go." 

Thomas shook his head. "What? No, I'm not leaving you. Come with me." 

Someone screamed nearby, and Newt shook his head, already starting that way. "There's no time, just go." 

Thomas swallowed the bad feeling in his gut and nodded once, turning and sprinting to the Med-House. One of Darius' men--well, women--stood there. She looked meaner and stronger than half the men Thomas had seen. She stood in the doorway of Dr. Smith's office and shot. This place was too confined and closed in. The sound was painful, like a hammer had struck Thomas in the head. Shaking the pain away, willing the ringing in his ears to stop, Thomas glared and shot her right in the head; she had never even noticed him there. Once again, the sound pierced him. He took half a second to let his ears remember how to hear, then he rushed into the office. 

Dr. Smith sat, slumped against the wall, gripping his shoulder. There was bleeding seeping through his fingers; quite a bit. Thomas dropped to his knees in front of him. "Are you okay!? Is it just your shoulder!?"

"And my forearm, but I'm fine." he hissed in pain as Thomas moved his arm about to look over the wounds. The shot in his shoulder was deep, from how close they were, but there was an exit wound. In this particular instance, it was a blessing. It was in a place where Dr. Smith wouldn't die from blood loss, and now they wouldn't have to dig a bullet out of it. 

Then a thought occurred to him. "Wait here." 

He picked up his gun and rushed to where Darius had been kept. He just stared at the empty bed, eyes narrowing.  _Of course._ He turned back to Dr. Smith, helping him to his feet and sitting him in his chair. "You still have bullets?" 

Dr. Smith nodded. Thomas glanced over his shoulder, then at Dr. Smith apologetically. "Use them." he said, "if anyone so much as shows their face, shoot them. Kill them. I have to go, it's madness out there. I need to go help." 

Dr. Smith grabbed Thomas' arm. "Be careful. Follow your own advice. Don't try talking to them. Just kill them." 

Thomas nodded. He hated leaving Dr. Smith when he was injured, but he knew he needed to get back out there. They needed Thomas, and Newt was somewhere out there. He needed to find him. Newt could fend for himself, but they had literally been ambushed by these people, and they were all ruthless; Newt could be shot down so easily, no matter how capable he was. 

Thomas went sprinting back out. It was hard for him to decide where to help, everyone was fighting someone, everyone was running, everyone was hiding. He heard a familiar scream and didn't have to look long to find it. One man had Jade by the hair, the other grabbing her arms as she struggled against them. Thomas didn't hesitate, shooting them both in the head. For a moment, he was terrified of himself, and how easy that was, but it didn't last. 

Jade ran to him, throwing her arms around him and clinging to him. Thomas held her with one arm, ready to shoot with the other. He took a moment to just hold her, relieved she was okay. She released him, grabbing his face. "You and Newt are fine?" she asked with tears in her eyes. 

"Yes. I think," he said, looking around. "I don't know where he went. Have you seen Darius?"

Jade shook her head. "Have you seen Gally? Minho? Victoria and Alex?" 

Thomas' heart skipped a beat.  _Victoria. Alex._

He and Jade exchanged a glance, and they both started to Victoria's house. Until Thomas noticed Minho, on the ground, still. A surge of terror ran through him, assuming the worst. Thomas cursed, rushing to him, turning his face towards him. There was a bloody gash on his head, but he still opened one eye. "My knight in shining armor." 

Thomas sighed out loud in relief, even if Minho was an idiot. 

Thomas pulled Minho to his feet, putting his arm around him, supporting him. "Shut up, Minho." he snapped, pulling him behind one of the houses and sitting him down against the wall. Jade sat in front of him, gingerly touching his wound. 

"It's not too bad," she said. "It looks worse than it is." 

"Yeah, well is it as bad as it hurts?" Minho complained. "Some shank ran out of bullets; smacked me right in head with that gun." 

Thomas looked around anxiously. He couldn't just leave Minho and Jade, but he needed to check on Victoria. He needed to find Newt. He bounced impatiently on his heels, looking for someone who wasn't completely preoccupied to look over them. Finally, he noticed Gally running about, looking around. Thomas whistled, and when Gally noticed him, he came jogging over. Gally was about to speak when he noticed Jade. Whatever he was going to say was forgotten as they crashed into each other, hugging tightly. Though, Thomas guessed he was probably going to ask if Thomas had seen her anyway. "Oh thank God," Gally muttered, not releasing Jade as he glanced over at Thomas. "Where's Newt?" 

"I don't know," Thomas said regretfully. "Can you watch them? I need to go check on Victoria and Alex and then find him." 

Gally nodded. "I've got them. Go find them before someone else does." 

Thomas nodded and began running that way. He didn't make it far. A pain struck his leg and fell, hard, rolling slightly as he hit the ground. He winced, looking down at his leg. It took him a moment to realize his shin had been grazed by a bullet. Quickly, he looked around, finding the man who had shot at him just in time to see him pull the trigger again. Thomas clambered out of the way, barely avoiding a bullet to the head. Thomas shot at the man, missing, then actually focused and shot again, hitting him square in the chest. 

Thomas sighed, pained, forcing himself to sit as he inspected his wound. It wasn't bad at all, it wasn't even that deep. But it stung, and it hurt like Hell. Still, he managed to get to his feet. 

On his way to Victoria, he rescued two other people, and was attacked by one other. Brenda ran to him, panting, covered in blood. None of it was her own. "What the hell is going on?" 

Thomas shook his head. "These bastards decided to attack us while we slept," he spat. "Have you seen Newt?" 

"He was near the woods, helping out some people just a couple minutes ago," Brenda breathed. 

Thomas let out a sigh of relief. "Oh thank God. He was okay?" 

"Yeah, he was fine." Brenda said with a nod. She paused. "Thomas, I'm sorry about--" 

Thomas shook his head. "Not now, we don't have time." he took a deep breath. "But I forgive you." 

Brenda smiled a bit. 

Thomas glanced ahead, Victoria's house was in sight. There didn't seem to be any chaos, but the door was hanging open. "I have to go find Victoria and Alex. Gally, Minho, and Jade are down near Jorge's house, I bet he's found them by now." 

Brenda nodded. "I'll see you soon," she said, then went running that way. 

Thomas rushed over. He stopped just a couple feet before Victoria's door. Everything was quiet inside. And just as Thomas was about to turn and run to look for them elsewhere, he noticed something. He peered into her house, trying to decide if his eyes were playing tricks on him. 

He realized with horror that they weren't. 

From the other side of the bed, slowly growing, was a puddle of blood. 


	64. Chapter Fifty-Seven- The Fight Continues

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello lovlies! 
> 
> I know, another kind-of-late update :/ I might try to do another one tonight, but I have to get up early tomorrow, so I'll probably do it then. These past couple days have been busy... XD I've got a dentist appointment and then am babysitting for a couple hours. I'm not spending the night though, so there will be updates tomorrow! 
> 
> ***I do NOT own The Maze Runner series or any of the characters!***

Thomas rushed inside, pulling the door closed behind him so he'd hear someone coming if they followed. 

Despite the dread, he didn't hesitate. He rushed towards the blood, stopping short when he saw Victoria laying there. Thomas had hoped against hope it'd be one of Darius' men, that it wouldn't be her. Seeing her there, laying on her back, bleeding from her chest, it was jarring. "Victoria," he muttered. 

A spike of shock ran through his system when she opened her eyes and looked at him. Thomas scrambled to her side, taking her hand. "Victoria!" 

She breathed in deeply, her chest heaving unevenly. "Hey Thomas," she said weakly. 

Thomas pressed his hand against her chest firmly, trying to stop the bleeding. "You're gonna be fine," he whispered, but he wasn't sure.  _Maybe. Just maybe if I can get her to Dr. Smith without incident, she can make it._

Victoria smiled sadly. "Thomas," she said, grabbing his hand and pushing it away gently. "Don't." 

Thomas shook his head. "What? What are you talking about, let me help you, I--" 

She shook her head. She led Thomas' hand underneath her; Thomas felt it immediately; an exit wound. Just minutes ago he had been so thankful to find an exit wound on Dr. Smith. Now, finding one is such a vital place meant Victoria's death. It meant it had ripped through something important, and she was going to bleed out quickly. Thomas swallowed the lump in his throat, blinking tears from his eyes. "It's okay," he said, "here, I'll take you to Dr. Smith, and he'll fix it." 

Victoria sighed and smiled. "We both know that won't help," she said calmly. "Just let me pass in peace." 

Thomas hung his head, biting back the sob that almost escaped him. "That's not fair!" he shouted. "After everything else..." 

Victoria put her hand on his face, "Thomas," she said, offering a smile. "It's okay. I would've wanted more time with you and Alex and everyone else, but I am fine with what I got. I never would've gotten any of it at all if it weren't for you." her eyes looked darker. "And I get to see him again." 

No one had to tell Thomas she was talking about her fiance. Tears rolled down his face and held the hand on his face, leaning into it. "What about Alex?" he looked around, dread washing over him. "Where is she?" 

"He took her," she said, the look of realization washing over her. She shook miserably, looking pained. She clutched at her chest. 

Thomas put a hand to her face. "It's okay," Thomas said, offering a smile despite the darkness gripping him. "I'll go get her. She's gonna be just fine." 

Victoria smiled, her eyes dulling. "You promise?" 

"Of course," Thomas said, doing anything he could to keep the smile on his face. 

She grabbed Thomas' hand and squeezed. "Thank you, Thomas," she said, kissing his hand. "Thank you." 

Thomas watched the light drain from her eyes. He screwed his eyes shut, resting his forehead against hers. He allowed himself to sob just for a few seconds. Then he sucked in a shuttering breath and straightened out. He wiped his eyes and stared down at her, feeling weak. Until he remembered what she said. 

"It was Darius," he said to himself, his pain turning into something else. "He took Alex." he pushed to himself to his feet. 

He felt weak, but in his anger, strength was returning to him by the second. He didn't look back, knowing he'd lose that strength if he did. 

Thomas went sprinting towards the direction Brenda had come from earlier, towards the woods where she had seen Newt last. When he got there, the only people there were some Builders and Jacob. One of the Builders had been hit in the head, and the others fussed around him. He'd be fine, he wasn't even bleeding. Thomas caught eyes with Jacob who walked over to him. 

Thomas knelt in front of him, trying to wipe the look of blood lust off his face. "Hey Jacob, have you seen Newt?" 

Jacob frowned. "Not for a little while. He left about ten minutes ago." 

Thomas sighed to keep himself from cursing. He ran a shaking hand through his hair, then looked back up at Jacob. "Do you know which way he went?"

Jacob pointed into the woods. Thomas glanced that way, then back at Jacob. "Are you... sure?" 

Jacob nodded. 

Thomas frowned. "Why would he go in there?" 

Jacob shrugged. "I don't know, but he went in there." he paused, then looked up at Thomas, doe-eyed. "Do you think we're gonna be okay?" 

Thomas softened, putting a hand on Jacob's shoulder. "Of course we are. I'm gonna go find Newt, and he and I are gonna take care of this, okay? Just stay here with the Builders, don't leave their sight." 

Thomas stood, getting the Builders attention, telling them to make sure they watched over Jacob.

Thomas began wandering into the woods unsurely. He didn't have time to waste; if Jacob had led him astray, that could cost Alex her life. He needed to find Newt quickly and then find Darius. He walked deeper into the woods for about ten minutes before deciding to turn back. Right as he did, he stepped on something solid beneath him--more solid than dirt. Too smooth to be a rock. Thomas knew what it was before he picked it up. Cursing, he turned Newt's knife around a couple times, then swung back around and marched deeper into the woods. 

He was out there, and he'd apparently run into some trouble. Thomas clutched the knife in his hand, adding the image of Victoria's lifeless eyes to the list of all the others he'd seen. 

He wouldn't let Newt be a part of that list. 


	65. Chapter Fifty-Eight- Who's it Gonna Be

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello lovelies!! Sorry for such a late update!! Things have been a bit busy!! 
> 
> But as far as I know, I don't have much planned the next couple days, so updates should be on time!  
> Speaking of!  
> Tomorrow, I am posting the last two chapters to this story consecutively, because the ending of the next chapter is too cruel to leave you guys on. So yeah! Tomorrow, we will be finishing this story (well the main story, I am going to be posting bonus chapters afterwards), that's so crazy!! 
> 
> ***I do NOT own The Maze Runner series or any of the characters!***

Thomas wasn't sure where he was running to, but that didn't stop him.

He frantically ran about, looking for any signs of struggle or any tracks that would lead him to wherever Newt went. It's probably nothing. Maybe he just dropped it. But even Thomas knew that wasn't true; he kept his knife in his boot, it wouldn't just fall out. _Why did he have to draw it in the first place?_

Just when Thomas was sure he'd lose his mind running around the forest, he heard crying. Alex's crying.

Thomas went sprinting towards it, readying his gun.

Alex was in Darius' arms, who was just sitting on the ground, bouncing her and talking quietly to her. She screamed and pushed at him and sobbed; she completely hated him. Newt was there as well, laying with his back to Thomas, completely still. Whether he was just terrified or was unconscious, Thomas had no idea. But either way, he was mad.

Thomas stepped forward, pointing his gun at Darius' head. There was a good twenty feet between them. Thomas would've moved closer, but he noticed Newt's gun in Darius' hand. If he got too close, it might cost someone their life.

"Somehow I knew you'd be the one to find us," Darius said, grinning. He glanced at Thomas' ring, as if he knew where to look. "I knew it was you. You can hide a ring, but you can't hide the way you look at him, or how your voice softens when you talk to him." he smirked. "How romantic."

Thomas just glared, never once lowering the gun. "Give them to me."

Darius stood, Alex's crying increasing as he did so. "What's the rush? We've all been waiting for you, after all. The least you could do is spare some time."

Thomas glanced at Alex, then at him. He wouldn't shoot him, not with Alex there and that gun in his hand. He glanced to Newt, looking all over him. He was completely still, he had to be unconscious. Then he noticed the blood towards the right side of Newt's head, sprinkled in his hair; with Newt's back to Thomas, whatever wound he had was out of Thomas' sight. He shot a glare at Darius, gritting his teeth. "What'd you do?" he growled. Darius just grinned. Thomas took a halting step forward, squeezing the handle of the gun so hard it hurt. _"What did you do?!"_

Darius laughed, raising the gun to Alex. Thomas froze. "Now, now," Darius said, practically giggling to himself with how much he was enjoying this. "Don't get so fired up. Wouldn't want someone to get hurt, now would we?"

Alex tried to push the barrel of the gun away from her, crying, and occasionally hitting at it with frustrated little hands. Thomas lowered his gun hesitantly. "Darius, just let me take them." he said, weaker this time.

Darius moved the gun away from Alex. "What's the fun in that?" he boosted Alex, making her cry harder. "I've always wanted a little one like this."

Thomas swallowed the fear in his throat. "You had one."

Darius slowly looked up at him, no trace of a grin. "What?"

"You had one." Thomas repeated, louder. He shifted back and forth on his feet for a moment nervously. "Julia."

Darius didn't look happy, and Thomas could see his jaw clenching from where he stood. "How do you know that?"

"Your quarters in your boat. I went in," he said, careful to leave Newt out of it. "I found your journal. And I found her remains." he eyed Darius for a reaction, but got nothing. "Just because you lost her, doesn't mean that Alex has to die, too."

Darius looked Thomas up and down, then glared at him. "What else do you know?"

Thomas continued, cautiously. "She got the Flare. I'm guessing you probably killed her. And I found your picture. With her and your wife. I'm guessing she died, too."

Darius sighed heavily. "Oh Thomas." he said, annoyed. "You should really mind your own business," he said, turning the gun about in his hand. "That kind of thing can make some people really, really mad."

Thomas tried not to stare at the gun, but his eyes kept going back to it. He, Alex, and Newt were at Darius' mercy, he had to be careful. "I think you can come back from this," he said, carefully. "I think if you stay with us, we can help you come back from this. That man in the picture... There's no way he's completely gone. It's not too late."

Darius laughed, shaking his head. "Jesus, kid. I wasn't better when I was here, you didn't bring out some side of me--I used you kids. All of you. I needed medical attention, you had a doctor. That's it. I was never opening my eyes or becoming a better person or something. And you're the only one niave enough to believe that."

Thomas recoiled slightly. "So what? That doesn't mean it has to be that way. Do you think your wife would want to see you like this?"

Darius suddenly pointed the gun at Thomas, glaring. "What do you think this is, kid!? She's dead. I don't worry about what my wife thinks about me, because she doesn't think. She _rots_ in the ground." he calmed down a bit, but didn't lower his gun. "Open your eyes. If I stayed with you all, I'd just use you all over again. And when I got bored of that, I'd kill you."

Thomas gripped his gun, his heart racing. He searched Darius' eyes; there was definitely insanity there. But it wasn't the insanity he had expected to see. It wasn't the Flare. He wasn't infected, despite everything he'd been exposed to.

"You're immune, aren't you?"

Darius narrowed his eyes. "It seems that way."

 _So you got this way all on your own._ Thomas thought, almost sadly. But he couldn't feel for him; he wouldn't let himself feel for him. Because despite everything he'd been through, he still chose what he did to people. He was sick and a monster.

"Somebody's going to die here, kid. Maybe more than just one of us," Darius said, his grin returning to his face. "So who's it gonna be?"


	66. Chapter Fifty-Nine- To Feel Nothing and Everything

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, here we go, second to last chapter!! 
> 
> I will be posting the next chapter right after this, so don't freak out about the ending of this chapter JUST YET XD I'm not gonna leave you with that, I swear. 
> 
> But anyway. Oh my gosh!! Let's do this!!   
> ***I do NOT own The Maze Runner series or any of the characters!***

Thomas took a deep breath. 

He needed to draw his gun, but if he did, Darius would shoot. Either him, or Alex or Newt. He needed to be careful about this. In most scenarios, he wouldn't mind letting himself be the one that was killed for their sakes. But in this case, if he was shot down, that would leave Newt and Alex in Darius' hands. 

Darius grinned. "It's been fun, kid, it really has, but I think it's time we stop playing these games," he said, pointing his gun right at Thomas' head. "Any last words?" 

Thomas knew it was pointless, but he supposed he should try to get out of this without anyone getting shot one more time. 

"You're still that man in the picture," he said quietly. "He's still there." 

Darius rolled his eyes, clearly not buying this. "Nice try, kid. But don't you think it's about time we get this over with?" 

It was now or never. 

Thomas pointed his at Darius as fast as he could and pulled the trigger the same time Darius did. 

It all happened so fast that Thomas found himself completely disoriented when he realized he was laying on the ground. There was a dull pain on his head, thrumming deeply through his skull. Gingerly, he touched a wound there. But it was more like a deep cut than a bullet wound. He'd only been grazed by the bullet. A shiver went down his spine; had Darius just been half a centimeter more on course, Thomas would be dead. 

Then Alex's crying tore through the silence. 

Thomas shot up, relieved to see her just fine. She was on all fours on the ground, crying. And Darius' corpse lay beside her, a gunshot right between the eyes. Thomas stared in shock.  _I did it. I really did it._ A part of him hurt for Darius a bit. Not for the man that Thomas knew, but the one he used to be. He hurt for the man in the picture. It was unfair, but he simply wasn't meant to last in a world like this. So he did the easy thing, and he threw himself away and became something terrible. 

True weakness is letting yourself become just as terrible as the world around you. 

Though, in the end, Thomas realized he was still the one to kill Darius. Darius had said so, and he and the others had decided he'd be the one to shoot him. Darius simply was meant to be killed at Thomas' hand, it seemed. 

Thomas let out a sigh of relief, rushing over and scooping Alex up. He checked her all over, making sure she hadn't been hurt when Darius dropped her. She looked fine, and the moment she was in Thomas' arms, she calmed, only occasionally whimpering and sniffling. Poor girl had been through way too much today. Thomas hugged her close, as close and tightly as he could without hurting her. "Oh thank God, you're fine..." 

Alex touched Thomas' face softly, grabbing at his jaw. "Mama," she whined. 

Thomas frowned, imagining Victoria's body, cold and lifeless. Alex would never see her again. Then Thomas thought of Newt. He set Alex down and crawled over to him. "Newt," he said, shaking his shoulder. He turned him over to see his face and inspect his wound. 

He recoiled. 

At first, all he saw was red. So much. Too much. 

The entire right side of his face was covered in thick blood, so much so Thomas could barely tell where it was coming from. But he did and his heart practically stopped. Newt's right eye was... He couldn't tell. He couldn't tell if he had been stabbed or shot, but it was nothing more than mangled, bloodied flesh. Thomas suddenly felt sick.  _Was he stabbed or shot? If he was stabbed, then he could be okay, but if he was shot..._

Thomas felt the back of Newt's head for an exit wound. He couldn't find one. Which meant he had been stabbed or the bullet was lodged somewhere in his brain. 

A cold began creeping over Thomas; and it was a familiar one, the same one he had felt after Chuck died. A numbness that threatened to consume him. He tried to assure himself that Newt was fine, that there was no way he could be gone. But when he thought about it, he had never seen Darius with a knife. And when Thomas found Newt's, it was completely clean. 

It hit him all at once. 

A numbness so strong it was like a wall he had ran right into. It was shocking at first; he felt literally nothing. No pain or worry or anything.  _He's dead,_ he thought coldly.  _Of course he's dead. After everything we went through, he's gone._

Alex had begun crying again, but Thomas barely heard her. Like there was cotton stuffed in his ears. 

And despite his sureness that Newt was dead, he still picked him up so he could take him to the Med-House. Newt hung limply in his arms, and Thomas could feel it; somewhere beyond his wall of nothingness around his heart, there was a wave of emotion strong enough to rip Thomas apart. It pressed and pushed at him, but Thomas couldn't feel it even if he wanted to. 

Minho came stumbling through the woods. "There you are, I heard gu--" he stopped, dead in his tracks. He stared at Newt for a long time, then Thomas. "Is he...?" 

"I think so." Thomas said simply. 

Minho fell to his knees, his eyes already wet with tears. Thomas was glad Minho had shown up, he could look over Alex. Thomas just walked right past Minho, leaving him there, broken down on his knees. 

As Thomas neared the Med-House, more people noticed them. Jade had just simply thrown her hands over his face and began sobbing the moment she saw them. Gally pulled her in close to him, staring in shock at them, his eyes filling. 

But Thomas didn't care. He paid them no mind. 

Everything was under control. People were hurt and tired, but it seemed all of Darius' men were either laying dead, or had fled. They'd be dealt with later. For now, they were fine. 

Thomas walked to the Med-House, kicking the door open. Dr. Smith was there, up and about, helping some other wounded. There were lots. Some writhed and cried out over vicious wounds, some were completely still, some had small wounds such as scratches and gashes. And somehow, amidst all the patients he was dealing with, Dr. Smith still glanced at Thomas and Newt. He didn't really seem to notice at first, then did a double take. his eyes impossibly wide. "Oh my god." 

Thomas just looked down at Newt. And slowly at first, it began to hurt. His eyes filled and he was blinking against tears in no time. 

Dr. Smith rushed over, taking Newt from him and bringing him to one of the beds, beginning to fuss with him. Thomas just stared down, looking at the floor. Then all at once, it hit him. It forced him to his hands and knees, and he gripped his chest; it hurt, it physically hurt. He let out a choked sob, and fought against a scream of agony that threatened to claw its way from his throat. 

He looked up at Dr. Smith, not able to see him clearly through the tears in his eyes. But he could see Dr. Smith collecting various tools and pressing his fingers against Newt's neck. He grit his teeth, shaking his head, waiting. And even though he was absolutely terrified of what he was going to hear, he still forced himself to ask. 

"Is he alive!?" 


	67. Chapter Sixty- Just Fine, As Always

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, here we go! 
> 
> The last chapter of the main story, wow!! I can't believe we're actually here... Well. I hope you enjoy it, and thank you to everyone who has read and left kudos and comments!!   
> There will be bonus chapters starting either later tonight or tomorrow, and I will be starting a new Newtmas fic tomorrow, as well! I hope to see you all there!   
> And thank you all so much for being with me during all this!! 
> 
> ***I do NOT own The Maze Runner or any of the characters!***

Thomas quietly crept up to her door, fighting the smile on his face. 

Thomas took a moment to look over the new room admirably. Gally and the others had done a good job at building an additional room onto his house for Alex to have a separate room. It was a bit funny to see the different in the color between the wood of the rest of the house, and that of the new room, but Thomas liked it regardless.

Thomas opened the door with one hand, holding a muffin in the other. It was bland, of course, it's not like they could make frosting or something, but it was something; even made with strawberries. Alex  _loved_ strawberries.

The moment he opened her door, she woke up. Little eyelashes fluttering. "Dada?"

"Happy birthday!" he said, making her sit right up, giggling excitedly. Thomas came and sat at the edge of her bed. "Four years old today. Do you feel older?" 

"No!" she laughed. "I feel the same!" 

Thomas grinned . "Yeah, well _I_ feel older." he handed over her the muffin. "That's from Frypan." 

Alex gasped almost comically so and accepted it. She took a bite, smiling widely. "It's good." 

Thomas nodded. "And guess what?" 

"What?" she asked through a mouthful. 

"We're all gonna go swimming today for your birthday. And there's gonna be lots of food there," he said, tickling her stomach. 

She giggled, smiling. "It's a party for me? Is everyone gonna be there?" 

"Of course," Thomas said, smoothing down her chaotic hair. "We just have to wait here until they come get us and tell us it's ready, and then we can go." 

"You should tell me another story," Alex said, scooting closer towards him, pulling off a piece of her muffin and handing it to Thomas. 

Thomas took it, eating it thoughtfully. "Hmm. Well what kind of story do you want?" 

"A daddy story!" She said excitedly. 

"Another one?" Thomas laughed. "You sure do like to hear about him, huh? Well. Okay. I'll tell you  _one_ but then you have to get dressed, deal?"

"Deal," she said, wrapping her little pinkie around Thomas' then sitting back, waiting intently. She pulled Elephant into her lap and waited. 

Thomas grinned. "Which one? Remember, choose carefully, you only get one." 

Alex thoughtfully took a couple bites from her muffin, big eyes staring off as she thought hard on it. "Mm... How you met daddy." she said confidently, then shook her head. "No wait! How about... How about the bad one?" 

Thomas rose his eyebrows. "You wanna hear the bad one again? Why?" 

"I like to hear about the pirate!" 

Thomas shrugged. "Alright, fine. So, one day--" 

"What are you two doing in here?" 

They swung around, where Newt stood in the doorway, arms crossed. Alex scrambled out of bed and ran to him, and he scooped her up, laughing. "Happy birthday, princess." 

She hugged him. "Daddy!" she cried happily. "Come sit with us, dada was going to tell me about how you lost your eye," she said, gingerly touching the large gauze bandage against Newt's right eye. Well, where his right eye used to be. 

Newt walked over and sat. "Oh yeah? And how does that story go?" he asked, grinning at Thomas. 

Thomas just grinned as well. "Well one day, bad pirates show up." 

Alex gasped as if she hadn't already heard this story. Thomas laughed a little as he continued. "They were mean, and wanted to take away the kingdom and the princess!" he leaned in, poking Alex's stomach, "that's you," he whispered with a wink. 

Alex giggled, putting her hands over her stomach. "What happened next?" 

Thomas smirked. "They tried to attack the kingdom many, many times, but the kingdom kept them away. Until one day, they attacked while the kingdom was sleeping." that earned another gasp from Alex. "And the meanest pirate of them all took the princess away!" 

Alex put her hands over her mouth in shock, and looked at Newt, who just mimicked her shock. 

"So, one of the kings went out to save you." 

Alex giggled and poked Newt's stomach. "That's you," she whispered, copying Thomas, making Newt and Thomas laugh. 

Thomas shook his head, grinning, but he continued anyway. "And the king fought to protect the princess, but he got hurt. The pirate took away his eye just to make the princess and other king sad. So when the other king found them, he was sad to see his king hurt. But he knew needed to protect the princess. And--" 

"And then you slayed the pirate!" Alex finished excitedly. 

"I did!" Thomas laughed. He picked her up and set her down. "Now you know the deal, go get dressed!" 

Alex nodded and ran off. 

Newt grinned. "I never heard that one before." 

Thomas shrugged. "I've only told it one other time," he said, kissing him. 

Newt smiled. "Everything's set up and ready for her," he said, standing and stretching. "I'll meet you out there." 

Thomas nodded and watched him go, smiling. 

 

"She's definitely enjoying herself." 

Newt nodded in agreement. The two of them sat on the edge of the cliff, watching everyone running about down by the beach. Minho was throwing Alex into the water, and Alex would come running back to him, laughing hysterically, so he would do it again. Newt grinned. "She's gonna sleep easy tonight." 

"No kidding," Thomas said. Then he glanced over at Newt and sighed, content. "Ya know," he started. "I think Victoria would be pretty happy right now." 

Newt glanced over at Thomas. "I think so, too." 

Thomas leaned forward, leaning his forehead against Newt's. "I had thought I lost you that day, too." he frowned. "That was a bad day." 

"It wasn't that bad," Newt said lightly. "Just a pirate and a king, right?" he offered with a smile. 

Thomas returned it and kissed him deeply. Newt had been pretty upset about it at the time, but Newt losing his eye seemed like such a small price to pay. So long as Thomas could keep being here like this with him. He pulled away and pulled in a deep breath. "I'm sure I've said this about a thousand times before, but I am grateful for you. Everyday. After everything, I don't think I could take you for granted if I tried." 

Newt smiled, pinching his cheek. "Oh Tommy. So poetic, as always." 

"I know," Thomas said, shaking his head. "But I really mean it. I think of all the time we've been together, and I just... It's never going to be enough. Even an entire lifetime won't be enough, because I love you so much," he sighed. "I can't tell you how much I love you, I just can't put something like that into words no matter how hard I try, but..." 

Newt put a hand on Thomas' cheek. "I love you, Tommy. More than anything." 

Thomas smiled, "I love you, Newt." he muttered, and he was okay with just that. Maybe it wasn't every detail of the way he felt about him, but maybe just that was enough. Maybe that was the closest he could get to telling him how he felt. 

Somehow, despite everything, they were just fine. They were more than fine. 

And even as they looked out over the beach, and saw that boat there--now fallen onto its side and stripped down to its skeleton in many places--even as they were reminded of all that, Thomas knew they'd continue to make it. 

"I think we were just made to survive." Thomas side, smiling at Newt. "So long as we're together." 

Newt smiled, leaning his head on Thomas' shoulder. 

"I think that, too." 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Super short little ending chapter!   
> (I'm terrible at endings, clearly.) 
> 
> But anyway, I hope you enjoyed! Newt's not dead, I was just trying to make you freak out! (Did it work?).   
> But yeah, that's the end of the main story, and I hope you guys had just as much fun as I did through this! And bonus chapters will cover things that happened during time skips and things that happen after this ending here, so if you're wondering about something, don't sweat it, it'll probably get covered in a bonus chapter, lol! 
> 
> Also, I find lots of quotes that I think relate to them (not gonna lie, I find them on Pinterest), and I'm thinking about putting them in chapter summaries for the bonus chapters that focus mainly on Newt and Thomas! We'll see! 
> 
> Again, hope you enjoyed, and thanks for sticking with it all this time!!! <3


	68. The First Night

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello lovelies!   
> This is the first bonus chapter!!   
> This one, as you may have guessed, is just the first night in their new paradise place. And this one is super short and just kinda cute and chill. Hope you enjoy anyway :)  
> I'm not gonna number these, since they're just bonus chapters. I've got about 14 of these planned, so let's do it! 
> 
> ***I still don't own the Maze Runner series or any of their characters!***

Thomas sat on the edge of the cliff, his knees to his chest, head resting on his knees. 

The sun had just set, and a film of darkness was stretching over the sky. The way the ocean in the distance darkened with the sky was actually quite beautiful. 

"You doin' alright?" Newt asked, walking up from behind him and sitting beside him.

Thomas sighed. "Yeah, I just... I was terrible to her. She really did do all that she did for me." 

Newt put his head on Thomas' shoulder. "I know, Tommy. But how you felt was completely fair, after everything. It's only human." Newt took Thomas' hand, kissing his cheek. "And ya know I'm always gonna be here for ya, right?" 

Thomas smiled over at him, the pain in his heart ebbing away with every second he spent in Newt's presence. "Can you believe we made it?" 

Newt laughed. "Honestly? No. But also yeah. Do you know what I mean?" 

He did. Thomas had a part of him that knew he'd make it, the hopeful part of him, but there was always that doubt--where he had just figured the way the world was was how it was always going to be. 

Newt glanced over his shoulder. "Minho and I told the others to find somewhere to rest for the night. We went out there and found some bloody supplies in a clearing not far from there.  _Lots_ of supplies, Tommy. I think we're gonna make it here for a long time. Gally and some of the others are even going to start buildin' houses tomorrow." 

Thomas frowned; Newt was so happy and excited while he talked about it, Thomas should've been there. instead, he had just sat in this spot, moping about Teresa. He kissed Newt's forehead. "Show me tomorrow," he said dotingly. "For now, we should do as you and Minho said, and sleep." 

Newt nodded and began to stand. "The others are restin' near the supplies--" 

Thomas grabbed Newt's arm before he could get away. He laid back, pulling Newt on top of him. Newt let out a squeak of surprise, but just grinned. "Let me guess, we're not going to join the others tonight, then?" 

Thomas grinned, wrapping his arms around Newt's waist. "No way." 

Newt laughed as he pressed a kiss against Thomas' lips. He smiled into the kiss, "I love you, Tommy." 

Thomas slid his hands into Newt's hair. "I love you, too." 

Newt smiled. "Now. Keep kissin' me." 

Thomas grinned, happy to oblige. 


	69. A Different Sort of Pair

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This one is how Jade and Gally met!! Just kinda small and cutesy. 
> 
> Please do enjoy!   
> ***I do NOT own The Maze Runner series or any of the characters!***

Gally took a step back, catching his breath. 

He looked over the Supply House his group was in the process of building. Smaller groups had branched off to work on houses, but a Supply House was absolutely necessary with just how many supplies they'd been left. The ocean offered a nice breeze, but it didn't change the fact it was hot, and it was hard work. 

Everyone stepped back to take a break. Gally was surprised just how many people had some building experience, or had wanted to pitch in. Boys and girls alike.

One of the young men, who looked about 25, had a girlfriend that had been waiting nearby to come see him, obviously, because the moment he stopped, she was there. Gally watched them, then rolled his eyes. They had work to do. 

Two more girls approached the group. One went right into the arms of one of the workers, while the other just stood back, seeming to be waiting for her friend. 

Gally couldn't help but glance at her; she was really cute. Long red hair, big green eyes, and freckles scattered haphazardly about her cheeks and nose. She simply stood by, hands folded behind her back, bouncing on her heels patiently. As he was looking at her, she suddenly looked over and smiled at him. Blushing deeply, Gally turned away and continued to work. 

 

The next day, she came by again with her friend. 

And when Gally dared to glance at her, she was already watching him. Gally quickly looked away, flustered. It was frustrating, he was wasting time.

"Hey." 

Gally nearly jumped out of his skin. He whirled around where the girl stood, smiling. 

Gally swallowed the lump of terror in his throat. "Uh. Hi." 

"It's coming along nicely," she said, looking over the Supply House. She didn't seem to have any problem talking to him, meanwhile Gally felt like he had lost all memory of putting words together into something that made sense.  

Somehow, he managed to reply. "Uh, yeah. If we keep working like this, I think it'll be done soon." 

She smiled at him and offered a hand. "I'm Jade." 

Gally awkwardly offered his hand, shaking hers. Her hand was small. "Gally." 

Jade smiled politely. "Hi Gally." 

"Hi Jade." 

Jade giggled. "I'll see you around," she said with a grin, noticing other builders begin to work again. 

"Okay," Gally said, watching her go. 

_Okay? That's it? That's all I got?_

Gally blushed a bit.  _Why am I worrying about this anyway? There's no way she'd be interested in me. Not when she looks like that..._ he shook his head. As he had told himself many times, he didn't have time for this. 

 

But she did come by the next day. 

Much to Gally's surprise, she brought him some water. "Oh." Gally said, accepting. "Um, thank you." 

Jade grinned. "Why are you being so awkward?" 

Gally blushed deeply, immediately flustered. "Oh, I didn't realize I was, I--" 

She laughed, shaking her head. "You're so funny." she said, smiling warmly. "I like you." 

"What?!" Gally asked, shocked. "Why!?" 

"You're funny and awkward," she said simply. Then she shrugged, grinning. "And you're tan and muscular, that doesn't hurt." she winked playfully. "I'll see you tomorrow," she sang, rushing off. 

Gally just stood there, dumbfounded. 

All he could think about was how she had called him tan and muscular. 

 

Eventually, Gally began to expect her. 

She came everyday, at first just for a couple minutes like the first few encounters. Then suddenly, she was staying longer. She was finding him before he went to work, and after. They were sitting together in the cafeteria, and were around each other all the time. 

One night, they were sitting under some trees after dinner, enjoying the cool air. 

"Why did you start hanging out with me anyway?" Gally asked, his heart beat quickening.  _I shouldn't have asked, I shouldn't have asked, I shouldn't have asked._

Jade shrugged. "You're different. You don't look at me the same way as the other boys do." 

Gally glanced at her. "What?" 

Jade grinned over at him. "You look at me like you're scared of me half the time." 

Gally blushed a little; that wasn't too far from the truth. 

Jade just giggled. "See? You're respectful without even trying," she said, staring at him admirably. "I like spending time with you." 

Gally laughed a little. "That's different." he paused. "I wasn't always the best person, ya know. I was pretty bad." 

"But you're not now," Jade said, pulling her knees to her chest. "That's what matters."

Gally grinned over at her. "You're way too far out of my league to be spending so much time with me." 

 _"League?"_ Jade asked with a laugh. "That's the stupidest thing I've ever heard. I care about you, not what you look like." she said, scooting a bit closer.

It made Gally sort of tense, but not exactly in a bad way. 

When darkness stretched across the sky, Gally walked her home. Her home was one of many that wasn't exactly finished yet. Her ceiling hadn't been finished yet, but at least her walls were up.  _Maybe I'll just finish this tomorrow real quick..._

Jade turned to him and smiled. "You didn't need to walk me home." 

"I know." Gally said with a shrug. 

Jade grinned. "Well. Thank you." she said, standing on her tip toes to leave a kiss on his cheek before disappearing inside. 

Gally stood there, face burning, for awhile. He eventually started stumbling home, his head spinning. Even as he plopped onto bed, trying to think about his schedule tomorrow, his mind kept wandering back to her. 

Gally ran his fingers through his hair. 

He had a feeling this girl would be the death of him. 


	70. A Little More Than a Broken Watch

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello lovelies! 
> 
> Here's another bonus chapter, please do enjoy!! If you'll remember in the first chapter, it was very briefly mentioned that Thomas' watch got broken because Minho pushed him off the cliff and into the water... Well. Here it is XD   
> ***I do NOT own the Maze Runner series or any of the characters!***

It was one of the best days they had so far. 

The sun was out, but it wasn't too blaring hot as it seemed it always was. It was just nice and warm. So of course, Newt and Thomas snuck off to the cliff to bask in it. 

They were laying side-by-side on their backs, just stretched out and enjoying it. Thomas took in a deep breath, completely content. Since things were beginning to become something that resembled a routine and some order, it was getting harder and harder for Thomas to sneak off with Newt. Newt sure did keep himself busy.

Thomas opened one eye, glancing over at him. He smirked, looking at Newt all stretched out and relaxed and, for once, not all over the place. Thomas rolled over onto Newt, not able to help himself. Newt opened one eye and smirked at him. "You're blockin' the sun." 

Thomas stole a kiss, his smirk widening. "And do you want me to get off?" 

Newt hummed in mock thoughtfulness, then hooked his finger around the neck of Thomas' shirt. "I suppose you could stay." he tugged him in closer. "But you gotta make it worth my while..." 

Thomas laughed, pressing their lips together. He had one hand planted by Newt's head, keeping himself up, the other resting on Newt's hip. Just as Newt had wrapped his arms around Thomas' shoulders, the moment was ruined. 

"Gross. That's really gross." 

Thomas sighed and glared up a Minho. "You could leave." 

Minho sat beside them, so Thomas just groaned and rolled off Newt. Minho stretched. "It's nice today." 

"It is," Newt said, sitting up. "Who's in charge right now?" 

"Settle down," Minho said, waving his hand dismissively. "I put Gally in charge." 

"He's not going to do anything," Newt muttered. 

"Exactly." Minho said. He laughed. "They're not babies Newt, these people can handle themselves for awhile." 

Thomas nodded. "He's right." he put his hand on Newt's. "Just stay still for five minutes,  _please,_ " he teased. 

Minho looked over the cliff. "We should swim." he nodded. "This is good swimming weather." 

"How do you know what good swimming weather is?" Thomas asked with a grin. 

"It's warm outside, I feel like swimming." Minho held out his arms as if he had just performed a miracle. 

Thomas rolled his eyes. "Jump in." 

Minho stood and stretched. "I might." he looked at the water, then at Thomas. "Come with me. There could be sharks." 

"Why would I come with you if there were sharks?" Thomas asked, holding back a laugh.

"Because there's a thing called _loyalty_ that I guess you don't believe in!" Minho retorted dramatically. 

"Go with him." Newt said. "Loyalty." 

"Yeah, loyalty." Minho added stupidly. 

Thomas laughed, pushing himself up. "Fine, whatever." he said, kissing Newt's head. "Come with us." 

"I'd rather not," Newt said, smirking. "But I'd definitely like to watch you." 

Thomas just blushed slightly. "Now I don't want to leave," he said, fighting the urge to just throw himself on Newt. Minho was the only reason he hadn't, and even with him there, he was still considering. 

Minho crossed his arms. "Uh-uh, no way, you're going in the water with me, you already said you would!" 

Thomas stuck his tongue out at Minho. "I changed my mind, I'd rather sit here with Newt. But you feel free. To do anything. As long as it gives me and Newt some alone time, I don't care." 

"Last chance to do this willingly." Minho warned, hands on his hips. 

"Or what?" Thomas asked with a laugh. 

Minho suddenly grabbed him by the shirt and shoved him towards the edge, then pushed him with everything he had. Thomas hit the water, and came back up, gasping. Mostly from shock. Minho splashed in beside him. He came up laughing. " _That's_ what!" 

Thomas laughed and splashed water on him. "You jerk," he spat. 

"Now that you're in here, you have to stay," Minho said simply. "Or I'll drown you." 

Thomas gave in, protesting clearly did nothing.

 

It was almost dark when they did finally get out. 

Newt stood there at the beach, waiting for them. "Any sharks?" 

"No sharks," Minho said, walking out and shivering. "Lots of seaweed, though. We should keep an eye on that. Seems suspicious." 

Thomas walked over and opened his arms. "Give me a hug." he didn't give Newt a chance to reply before just hugging him, squeezing him. Minho joined in, both of them ignoring Newt's protests. When they pulled away, Newt just stood there, damp and looking annoyed. But he couldn't hide that grin on his face, so he obviously wasn't that annoyed. 

"Gee thanks," Newt said, then paused. "Oh Tommy..." he put a hand over his mouth to stifle giggles. 

"What?" Thomas asked, looking down at himself. 

Newt pointed to his wrist. "Your watch." 

Thomas looked at his watch, shocked to see the digital numbers had disappeared. He took it off, madly tapping on it. He shook it, and could hear water swishing around inside. "Oh my gosh." he said, looking at Minho. "Look what you did!" he said, holding it out at him. 

Minho laughed. "Calm down, you can have mine," he said, reaching to take his off his wrist. He paused, staring at his own black, dead screen. He looked back at Thomas and shrugged. "My bad." 

Thomas threw his dead watch at Minho, then glanced at Newt's watch, then back at Newt. "Hey." 

"No," Newt said. 

"What about me?" Minho asked. 

Newt laughed. "No to both of you bloody idiots!" 

Minho looked at Thomas. "Ya know, if we just catch him, we can just take it from him." 

Thomas put his hands on his hips, glancing at Newt. "... That  _is_ true." he said thoughtfully. 

Newt took a step back. "Don't you dare," he warned, but he was already laughing. 

Minho and Thomas exchanged glances, then took off after him. Newt squealed and turned and ran. 

They ended running back to the others, weaving through the buildings and people, shouting like idiots the entire time. Everyone may have thought they were completely insane, but it was worth it. 

Sort of. 

When they caught Newt, he totally knocked them both on their asses without much trouble. 

_Yeah, still worth it._


	71. Nothing Like a Fairy Tale

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello lovelies! 
> 
> Here's the next one; how Minho and Yvonne met! Short and sweet :)   
> ***I do NOT own The Maze Runner series or any of the characters!***

"So, what happened with that girl?" 

Minho glanced over at Newt as they walked. Minho simply waved his hand dismissively. "That's over." 

"What?!" Newt asked, looking at him with such a look of shock you would've thought that Minho had just dropped to one knee and proposed to him. "You  _just_ got with her, didn't you!?" 

Minho simply shrugged. "Not everyone gets a fairy tale, Newtie." It was somewhat of a joke, but Minho sort of meant. Thomas and Newt fell in love fast and completely, so they were always so shrugged when Minho was only with a girl for a week, sometimes even less. He also couldn't understand why they looked so shocked; it's not like he had dated every girl around or anything, just a couple.  _Naive, both of 'em._

Newt gave him a sideways glance. "And please do enlighten me and how Tommy and I had a fairy tale." 

"Ya know, you two fell in love like five seconds after knowing each other." 

"Yeah, as bloody test subjects and have been trying not to die ever since then." Newt clipped, hands on his hips. 

Minho paused. "Okay, good point. But doesn't that just make it even more romantic?" 

Newt fought against his grin for a moment, then just laughed, shoving Minho's shoulder. "It's really not like a fairy tale, though." Newt said, staring off, but he was smiling.

Minho rolled his eyes. "You make no sense."

Newt smirked. "But hey, who knew Minho had such a romantic view on the world?" 

Minho laughed. "It's your guy's fault. You're always being gross around me, it's poisoned me." 

"Speaking of us," Thomas chimed in from behind them. Minho hadn't even heard him walking up behind them, so he had to play it cool and pretend he didn't just have a mini heart attack. Thomas suddenly snatched Newt's hand and took off running, forcing Newt to stumble after him. "I'm taking him!" Thomas shouted over his shoulder. 

Minho shook his head, laughing.  _Idiots._ But even as he thought that, he couldn't help but notice that despite his protests, Newt entwined his fingers with Thomas'. And when they looked at each other, it was all warmth and laughter. Something in Minho's chest twinged.  _How lame._ he thought bitterly.  _I'm lovesick._

Just as he thought it, a hammer landed heavily in front of him, knocking up dust. Not a little, standard hammer either. It was more like a sledgehammer. He stared, dumbfounded, realizing if Thomas hadn't rushed in like an idiot and made him slow down, Minho probably would've been just hit in the head with a hammer. 

A girl came running over. "So sorry!" she said, picking it up and tossing it back towards the building the Builders were working on. It looked heavy just a moment ago, but she made it look like it weighed nothing. She huffed and looked at Minho, hands on her hips. "Seriously, sorry. Almost killed you." 

The first thing Minho noticed was that she was pretty; short, black hair. Sharp eyes. Her color was definitely black. Black, worn boots. Black jeans with holes in them (the real kind, not the fake ones), and a black tank top, even black gloves--though Minho supposed all the Builders had black gloves. Regardless. 

The second thing Minho noticed was that she could probably kill Minho; her muscles were defined. She was small, but she was more intimidating than most people Minho had met. "It's fine," Minho said with a shrug. "Keep me on my toes." 

"You didn't even notice until it hit the ground in front of you," she said, grinning. "Obviously, I have to try harder." 

Minho laughed. "I suppose you will." he held out a hand. "Minho." 

"I know who you are," she said, shaking his hand. "Everyone knows who you are. I'm Yvonne." 

"Everyone knows who I am?" Minho asked, hands on his hips. "Is it because of my stellar good looks?" 

Yvonne laughed. "Don't flatter yourself; everyone knows who you are. And Newt." 

Minho liked her; she was tough. 

"Well, it's been a pleasure almost being hit in the head by your hammer," Minho said, taking a bow. "But I should be taking my leave. That Newt you heard about decided to run off with his boyfriend before we finished making our rounds, so now I gotta do it all." 

"Hmm. Must be hard work to walk around and look at people doing actual work," she teased, giving him a dangerous grin. 

Minho smirked, something brewing in his chest. Definitely not love; more like a challenge. "Harsh," he said, beginning to walk off. "You win this time."

Yvonne simply waved, looking rather proud of herself. 

Minho barely got ten feet away when he suddenly thought of Thomas and Newt. Minho thought briefly what they would do. So Minho took a page out of Mr. Romance himself's book, and turned on his heels, walking back over. "Hey, did you want to hang out later or something?" he blurted.  _Okay, so maybe not what Thomas would say, but close enough._

Yvonne looked almost startled, but she just smiled a little. "Alright. Yeah, definitely." she began walking back to her work, winking as she went. "I'll be seeing you around." 

Minho just turned right back around and kept walking, faster this time.  _Newt's right._ _Love and Romance and all that_ _is definitely not like a fairy tale._

_It's better._

And as he walked on, his mind spinning about what he was going to say to Yvonne later, there was one distinct thought floating around. 

_I owe Newt an apology._


	72. Just a Cold

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Another little short one! Enjoy <3 
> 
> ***I do NOT own The Maze Runner series or any of the characters!***

"I'm home!" Newt called as he entered, which was pointless because their house was basically just one room anyway. He had just always wanted to do that. 

"Hey." Thomas muttered, not getting out of bed to greet him. 

Newt frowned; that was odd. Newt walked over, poking the mess of hair sticking out from the covers. "You okay?" 

Thomas pulled the covers off his face, making Newt jump. He was so pale, except around his eyes, they were dark. His eyes were glossy, and he sniffled. "Dr. Smith says I got a cold." 

Newt sat beside Thomas, fussing with his hair. It felt thicker for some reason, like somehow sickness could make his hair thicker. "What?" Newt asked, fussing with it gently. "Tommy, ya never leave the house, how'd you manage?" 

"I don't know," Thomas complained. "But I feel awful." 

Newt pressed the back of his hand against Thomas' forehead, wincing. "You're really warm." he told himself to calm, to fight the rising panic. It was just a cold; sure, they had never really gotten colds before, but those weren't a big deal. 

Apparently, Thomas could tell Newt was trying not to freak out, because he just took Newt's hand. "I'm fine. Just really tired." 

Newt nodded, kissing Thomas' forehead. "Sleep," he urged. "I have to check in with Minho about something real quick, I'll be right back." he said, hopping to his feet and walking out. 

The moment he was, he rushed to the Med House. Luckily, Dr. Smith hadn't left for home just yet. He smiled when Newt arrived. "Hey, how's Thomas?" 

"That's what I came here to talk about," Newt said, leaning in the doorway. "What should I do? How do you make colds go away...?" 

"Well, we don't have any cold medicine, so he's just gotta wait it out. Drink water, eat lightly, rest. All that good stuff." he said, grinning slightly. "You don't need to worry so much, Newt. It's really just a cold." 

Newt blushed slightly; apparently Newt was a lot worse at hiding his emotions than he thought. "Thank you," he muttered, turning and walking away. 

He rushed to the cafeteria just as Frypan was about to leave the kitchen. "Wait!" Newt said, "I need lots of water, and I need some food for Thomas. He's got a cold." 

Frypan was happy to oblige, telling Newt not to worry so much. 

Newt pouted.

Newt hurried back to their house, not surprised to see Thomas asleep. He walked over, sitting on the edge of the bed and staring at him worriedly. He ran his fingers through his hair lovingly, wishing he could take his sickness away. He looked so miserable. 

"Newt, you gotta calm down." 

Newt jumped, his heart skipping a beat when Thomas spoke. Newt stumbled off the edge of the bed, sitting on the floor, clutching his chest. "Tommy... Oh my gosh, I thought you were asleep." 

Thomas laughed, but he still looked a bit concerned. "You okay?" 

Newt stood, brushing himself off. "I'm fine, but you need to drink some water." he said, using the pitcher Frypan had gave him, and poured some into a cup. He handed it over, watching him expectantly. 

Thomas sighed heavily. "You're not gonna let me just suffer in peace, are you?" 

"Nope." 

"Figures," Thomas muttered, drinking half the cup of water all at once, then handing it back. "You don't need to take care of me, ya know. I'm fine." 

"Yeah, yeah," Newt said with a roll of his eyes. "Just take a nap." 

Thomas laid down, a small smile on his face as he did so. He got situated, then glanced at Newt. "Wanna join me?" 

Newt grinned and crawled onto bed with him. "You have to eat later, too." 

"Mm-hmm." 

"And more water," Newt continued as he shimmied under the covers beside Thomas. 

"Mm-hmm." 

"And make sure you sleep a whole bunch, even if you're not tired." he added. 

"You done?" Thomas asked. 

Newt simply nodded. Thomas leaned forward and kissed his forehead. "I wanted to wait until you were finished," Thomas said, a grin on his face. "Nagging kinda ruins the moment." 

Newt blushed a little, smirking. "Yeah, yeah," he muttered, leaning forward to kiss him. 

Thomas recoiled. "Newt! I'm sick!" 

Newt looked him up and down, then just leaned forward and kissed him anyway. "I don't care," Newt muttered upon pulling away. "If I get sick, it'll be worth it." 

And with that, he kissed him again. And Thomas was much more willing this time. 

Of course, not very surprisingly, he did indeed get sick. 

_Still worth it._


	73. The Best Relationships Start With a Kiss

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I just finished A Cruel Twist of Fate and am feeling a bit emotional by my own story (I'm such a nerd)... XD So here we go, let's write something that's not too painful! Gally finally asking Jade out! Another little short one :)
> 
> ***I do NOT own The Maze Runner series or any of the characters!***

"Are you ever going to do it?" 

Gally glanced at Thomas, glaring at him. "I'll ask her out when I'm ready to." he snapped. 

"It's been, like, months." Thomas said with a groan. "She's just waiting for you now." Thomas sang. 

Gally glanced at her; her and Newt were talking and laughing. Gally's heart skipped a beat; she was so beautiful, but when she laughed was when she was most beautiful. It was times like those that Gally realized he didn't deserve her, but he was damn grateful for her. 

"Newt," Thomas called. "Let's go home." he smirked over at Gally. "There's your opening, take it." 

Newt rushed over to him. "What's the rush?" 

Thomas didn't answer him, simply threw Newt over his shoulder and walked off, carrying away Newt and his startled and protesting yells. Jade walked over, giggling. "They're really cute." 

"I guess," Gally said with a roll of his eyes. But even he couldn't deny that Thomas and Newt were basically the closest, most exemplary couple Gally had ever seen. 

Jade nudged him. "Wanna go back to my place and hang out and stuff?" 

Gally nodded a bit. "Sure thing." They did that about every night now; went back to one of their houses, and sat around and talked about everything; the Maze, Jade's early life, WICKED, what Gally went through, everyone Jade had lost, everyone Gally had lost, etc., etc. The day previous, Gally didn't even go back to his own place until about four in the morning. 

Jade's house was always clean. Gally couldn't understand how she kept it so clean, especially since she was so full of energy all the time, Gally would expect it to look like a tornado had blown through. Jade sat on the floor next to her bed and Gally joined her. 

"I wanna know how they met," Jade said. 

"Thomas and Newt?" Gally asked, a bit surprised by this random demand. 

She nodded. 

"Um, well it's like I told you with the Box and a newbie. Thomas was a newbie, and Newt was second in command. Of course they spoke." he thought about; he felt a bit bad. "I remember calling Newt on it, because Thomas tried to follow him into the Homestead, where he wasn't supposed to go. I spat 'boyfriend' at him like an insult, because I thought it was." he chuckled. "I didn't mean it as a prediction." 

Jade laughed. "Well imagine the surprise on your grumpy face when they got together, huh?" 

"Oh yeah," Gally said with a laugh. 

"How'd they get together?"

"I told you about how Thomas spent that night in the Maze," Gally used to think Thomas was so stupid for that. Now, Gally admired him a bit for it. "Well right before Thomas ran in there, he kissed Newt." 

Jade frowned. "Newt had to wait all night to know if he was alive?" 

"Yep." Gally said with a nod. "But it's okay, Newt got his revenge. Smacked the daylight out of him when he saw him again." 

Jade and Gally laughed. Jade smiled, staring off. "It seems the best relationships always start with a kiss." 

"I guess so," Gally said thoughtfully. 

But Gally was clueless and oblivious, so he was a bit shocked when Jade leaned over, placing her hand on Gally's. Gally blushed slightly and glanced at her. She wasn't grinning or laughing, not even smiling, just staring at Gally with an intensity that sent shivers down Gally's spine. 

Gally swallowed hard. He knew if he didn't do this now, he'd disappoint them both. 

Nervously, hands shaking, heart beating so hard it seemed to shake his entire body, Gally leaned forward and kissed her. 

It was quite the feat that he had even kissed her, so he couldn't really help that he pulled away about five seconds after, terrified. Jade looked over his terrified face and burst out laughing. 

Gally blushed deeply and pouted. "Well jeez." 

Jade laughed even more at Gally's comment, but she threw her arms around him. She finally got control of herself and hugged him a bit tighter. "You're so cute." 

Gally smiled a little and hugged her back. "So you liked the kiss then?" 

She pulled away, nodding. She rested a hand against Gally's face. "I think I'd like another one actually," she muttered, kissing him this time. 

And as Gally kissed her back, he couldn't understand why he had waited so long. 


	74. Newt's Nightmares

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh! I forgot to mention on the last update: 
> 
> Two people have asked (warms my heart that they care) about a chapter about Newt recovering after his eye gets wounded. There will be one! I have a sort of timeline (kinda) going with these, so it'll be soon! So for anyone else wondering if I am planning to do a chapter on that, the answer is yes, I am! :)

Newt wasn't very good at telling Thomas about his problems. 

And Thomas knew it wasn't that Newt was holding back on him on purpose, or didn't trust him or anything like that. Newt just sort of felt things, not really ever voicing them. One of the many reasons Thomas was thankful he could read Newt's face so easily; if Thomas asked him what was wrong, eventually Newt would tell him. But if he didn't notice the pain on his face, and didn't ask, Newt wouldn't bring it up. 

Sometimes it seemed that even Newt didn't know he was feeling down. 

Sometimes, the only way Thomas knew was Newt's nightmares. 

Thomas lay there, working on falling asleep. Newt already snoring softly beside him.

Just as Thomas was about to fall asleep, he heard Newt whimper. Concerned, he opened one eye and glanced at him. Newt was still, and looked peaceful, but Thomas was sure he had just heard him whimper. 

Assuring Thomas that he wasn't crazy, Newt whimpered again, his brow furrowing. 

Thomas frowned and sat up, not sure if he should wake him or not. Newt's mouth moved like he was trying to form words, but no sound came, he just looked increasingly upset. Thomas leaned over and kissed the top of his head. And for just a moment, it worked. Newt seemed calmed.

But then he began moving just slightly, just slightly shifting as a look of pure sadness washed over his sleeping face. 

Then, tears squeezed out of his eyes, startling Thomas. He frowned deeply, nudging Newt softly. "Newt?" he asked gently. 

Newt's eyes slowly opened, and he let out a couple soft, quiet sobs. Thomas frowned, laying back down and pulling Newt in against him. He ran his fingers lovingly through his hair. "Newt, what's wrong?" 

"I had a nightmare," he whimpered into Thomas' shoulder. 

"About what?" Thomas pressed, holding him tightly. 

"Everyone," he said, his voice breaking. "We lost so many people, what if we had lost everyone?" 

Thomas kissed his head, long and soft, then spoke into Newt's hair. "We didn't, though. We were lucky enough for that." 

Newt clung to him. "I miss them." 

Thomas' heart nearly broke hearing how sad he sounded. Thomas held him close to him. "I know, I do too." 

Newt sniffled, his little body trembling. Thomas knew there wasn't much he could say to help, so instead he just held Newt strongly. Sometimes, that was all that was needed--just someone strong to hold someone who was feeling weak. 

When Newt calmed down, he traced little circles on Thomas' stomach. He sniffled. "I guess I haven't been feeling too great. I didn't even notice." 

"I didn't either," Thomas said, running his fingertips up and down the line of Newt's back. He smiled a little. "But hey, at least we found out." 

Newt giggled a little, wiping at his face. "I'd kiss you, but I'm covered in tears and my eyes are puffy, and it's just gross." 

Thomas grabbed his chin, turning it up towards him. "Still beautiful," he muttered, kissing him deeply. 

So perhaps sometimes Newt wasn't the best with his feelings, without even knowing it himself. But to compensate, Thomas was good at comforting him. Together, they made it a pretty good team. 

And as Thomas watched him sleep, peacefully now, cheeks still flushed from crying, he smiled. 

_A very good team._


	75. At Darius' Mercy

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello lovelies! 
> 
> Well, we're getting to the important stuff now. This chapter is about when Darius finds Newt in the woods that night and when he gets stabbed in the eye. Then the next chapter is recovery, ah! So here we go!! 
> 
> Also, I am going to be posting a new Newtmas request tonight, and then a new fic of my own design (for a different fandom, shocker, I know!), but this one will continue to be update daily, even if other fics aren't! No worries! 
> 
> ***I do NOT own The Maze Runner series or any of the characters!***

Newt pulled the trigger, killing another of Darius' men. 

He sighed deeply, staring at the corpse.  _This is too much,_ he thought, even as he continued on, looking for anyone else who may need help or any other of Darius' men who needed to be dealt with. 

All the while, he couldn't stop thinking about Thomas. 

Newt knew they had to split up, of course, but that didn't mean he could just calm down. It would be so easy; all someone had to do was point a gun at him and pull the trigger, and Thomas would be another corpse on the ground to be stepped over. 

Newt shuddered, it'd be best not to think about it until he saw him again. 

 _Because I will see him again._ Newt assured himself, a small smile finding his face.  _The man's unkillable._

He spotted Jacob sitting on the ground all by himself, looking frightened. He hugged his knees to his chest and looked around nervously until he spotted Newt. Newt jogged over to him. "Jacob!" he said, kneeling in front of him. "What are you doing? Why are you all alone?" 

Jacob threw his arms around Newt, clinging to him. "I don't know where my parents went." 

Newt stood, holding Jacob. "It's okay, hold on, we'll find some people and we'll keep you safe, okay?" Newt looked around somewhat frantically as he walked; now that he had Jacob in his arms, he was somehow even more paranoid than he had just been. 

Luckily, he found some Builders, standing about, looking ready for anything. 

Newt rushed to them. "Hey, how are you guys holding up?" 

"Good," one of them answered with a nod. "Just keeping an eye out for people who need help." 

Newt nodded, placing Jacob down. "Okay, good. Can you guys keep Jacob safe? I think I should go find Tommy." 

They nodded, and Newt knelt before Jacob again. "I'll be back, okay? Maybe not until everything is over, but I'll be just fine, and you're gonna be just fine. Just stay with the Builders no matter what, okay?" 

Jacob nodded. "Okay." he reached out and took Newt's hand. "Be careful." 

Newt smiled, giving Jacob's little hand a squeeze. "Of course." 

Newt stood, beginning to jog towards the Med-House when he noticed a shape in the woods. Something made him stop to inspect it, something pulled him in that direction. He only took a couple steps forward, then stopped dead in his tracks. 

Darius stood, holding Alex. Darius stared right back at Newt, that irritating grin on his face, and then just beckoned Newt to come to him. 

Newt glanced around. No one else had noticed.  _Good,_ Newt thought.  _I can't let anyone follow me._

Newt started that way. "I think I heard something, I'm going to go check it out," he said to the Builders. "Just stay there and keep an eye on Jacob." 

Newt gave Jacob a smile, then walked into the woods. 

Darius was somewhat deep in the woods, and Newt didn't rush. He wanted to, since Darius had Alex, but fear tried to slow him down, and it was doing a good job. No one had any idea why he had really gone in there, no one would be expecting Darius to be there, no one would be looking. He swallowed it down, and above all other things, he thought of Thomas. He'd have no idea. 

Newt stopped before Darius, glaring. 

Darius grinned. "Well that's not a pretty face." 

"What do you want?" Newt snapped, his eyes falling on Alex. She cried and sniffled, trying to reach out to Newt. "What do you want with her?" 

"I just like her," Darius said casually, bouncing her. Alex screamed in anger. If anything, Darius seemed amused by her hatred for him. "Now if you hand over your gun and your knife, I'll consider keeping her alive," he said, placing her on the ground. She began crying again, beginning to crawl towards Newt. Darius pushed her over with his foot, a bit too hard for Newt's liking. 

"Don't!" Newt screamed, then drew in a sharp breath. He tossed his gun on the ground in front of Darius, then threw his knife before him as well. Newt supposed he could've taken a shot at Darius, but he wouldn't risk it. Not with Alex there. One kick and he could break her bones if not kill her. 

Darius looked pleased. He picked up the gun, sliding it into the waistband of his pants. He picked up the knife, looking over it, grinning. He glanced at Alex. "Look at the poor thing. She wants you so bad." 

Newt glanced at her, again trying to crawl to Newt, her poor little face covered with tears and snot. Which is why it took him by such surprise when Darius slammed into him. The two of them hit the ground, the wind being knocked right out of Newt. He gasped, trying to scream, but didn't have the breath for it. Not that it mattered, Darius slammed his hand over Newt's mouth. "Shh," he said, lightly dragging the tip of the knife across Newt's cheek. "You cut me right here," he muttered, tracing it along Newt's cheek, but being careful not to actually cut him. 

Newt's heart was racing, he winced every time the blade touched him, just waiting for it to actually pierce his skin. He pushed at Darius' hands and kicked his legs aimlessly, but just like last time, in the Med-House, Darius was too strong. Tears of terror burned Newt's eyes, he was at Darius' mercy. He screwed his eyes shut, reminding himself he did it for Alex. And if Darius was torturing Newt, he wouldn't be hurting her. 

"Crying already? It's okay," Darius laughed, clearly enjoying himself. "I'm not going to do anything terrible to you. I would, but I don't have time. Not yet, anyways. Your boyfriend will be coming for you soon, I'm sure. Once he's killed, though," he muttered, his eyes roaming over Newt with a look that was anything but innocent, "I can't promise anything."

_Boyfriend?_

Newt looked at Darius quizzically. Darius laughed. "Oh, I'm sorry. Fiance? Husband? Sorry doll face, I know you two tried to keep it hidden, but it was pretty obvious." 

Newt mentally cursed; of course he knew. The entire time. 

Alex suddenly started scream-crying, hitting her hands against Darius' leg. Darius just grinned. "Well, how cute is that? She wants me to get off you." 

Newt's heart spiked with terror. He pushed at Darius' hands again, somewhat frantically. He had to get out of this and get Alex out of there. Darius laughed. "Woah, calm down there! We're gonna leave in just a second." he pressed the blade of the knife right against Newt's cheek again. "But I have something to do first." 

Newt turned his eyes up to the sky, blinking tears from his eyes, just waiting. He knew he'd feel the blade cut into him in no time, he just didn't want to watch Darius do it. Darius suddenly yanked Newt's face back down, forcing Newt to look at him. Darius leaned in close. "Oh no, don't think I'm _just_ gonna cut your pretty face." He pressed his hand harder against Newt's mouth. 

Newt didn't even have time to wonder what to expect; Darius reeled his hand back, and when it came back down, there was nothing other pain. 

Newt's vision went white and he screeched against Darius' hand. The screams tore right out of him; searing hot and scratching his throat on the way out. He was sure if he could hear himself scream, he'd be making a sound that was completely inhuman. He thought immediately of when he had jumped in the Maze. The pain was white hot and so concentrated, Newt was sure he'd lose his mind. Vision began coming back to his left eye, but everything was red. His body convulsed and he screamed into Darius' hand so much his throat burned, his voice died. All he could think about was how he couldn't take it, how the pain was too much.  

He wasn't aware of much other than pain. He was aware of the look of sick glee on Darius' face, his roaring laughter. He was aware of Alex screaming. He was aware of tears pouring out of his left eye, and blood out of his right. 

It was selfish, but when numbness began taking him, and darkness arrived at the edge of his one good eye, he was grateful. He wasn't sure if it was death or just unconsciousness, but he willed it either way. 

As he was drifting out of consciousness, he watched with sudden fatigue as Darius wiped the blade completely clean and just dropped it right on the ground. Darius leaned over Newt's face to see if he was still awake, then grinned. "We wanna make sure your boyfriend knows where to look for you, right?" 

Newt felt his eye, the one still in tact, roll up towards the back of his head. He could feel Darius pick him up, hear Alex crying, but it was fading fast. 

And before everything fell away, he thought of Thomas. 


	76. The Aftermath

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Lovelies!   
> My apologies for no update yesterday, I was unexpectedly visited by family! It was very nice, but obviously, I didn't have time to update! As you can tell from the title, this one's about the aftermath. I was going to make this two chapters, but I decided to make it just one LONG one. It's pretty long, hang in there.   
> So here I am, let's do this!! 
> 
> ***I do NOT own The Maze Runner series or any of the characters!***

"Is he alive!?" 

Dr. Smith fussed with Newt, one hand taking his pulse. He paused for a moment, then glanced at Thomas. He offered a small smile. "Calm down, he's alive." 

Thomas sucked in a deep, shaking breath. It felt like the first one he had ever taken. He clutched his chest for just a moment, to remind his lungs how to breathe, and his heart how to beat, then he scrambled to his feet and rushed over. 

Thomas stood on the side of the bed opposite from Dr. Smith. He looked all over Newt, shaking his head. He took Newt's hand in his. "I don't understand how he's alive," Thomas muttered. 

"It's a stab wound. Whoever did this," Dr. Smith spoke as he pressed a rag to Newt's eye while digging around for something in his medical equipment, "was careful to make sure he lived." he frowned at Thomas apologetically. "And judging by the people outside, it was probably to watch him suffer." 

"It was Darius," Thomas said, swallowing the dryness taking his throat. 

Dr. Smith just frowned and turned his attention back to Newt. Thomas frowned deeply, clutching Newt's hand.  _I'm so sorry,_ he thought, more tears stinging his eyes.  _I can't imagine what that pain must've been like._

Dr. Smith pulled out a menacing looking tool, like big tweezers. "What is that for?" Thomas asked, breathless, not sure if he wanted to know. 

"I have to get it out," Dr. Smith, discarding the rag from Newt's eye. The rag had once been gray, it was a deep, dark crimson now. 

Thomas shook his head. "I thought you said it was a stab wound, what needs to come out?" 

Dr. Smith sighed slightly. "What's left of his eye." 

Thomas put his hand over his mouth, taking a step back. He suddenly felt sick. He blindly reached out, finding a bed behind him and sat back on it. Thomas swallowed it down, his mouth coated in warm, slick liquid. He focused on breathing; Thomas throwing up in a room full of open wounds would be the worst thing he could do. 

"Thomas." 

Thomas jumped when he felt a hand on his shoulder. Minho stood there, one hand on Thomas' shoulder, his other arm holding up Alex. "Take Alex. I'll stay with Newt, you look like you're about to throw up all over the shuck place." 

Thomas rubbed at his eyes with palms of his hands, shaking his head. "I can't leave him. I have to be here when he gets up." 

Thomas glanced up just in time to see Dr. Smith pull a chunk of the bloody, mangled remains of Newt's eye out from the socket. Thomas heaved, looking away. Minho sat beside him. "Go," he persisted. "I'll come get you once this is all done." 

Thomas wanted to refuse, he wanted to stay with Newt, but he couldn't take it. He nodded hesitantly, taking Alex and turning, walking out. 

His legs felt weak, his entire body felt empty. But even though it was riddled with sadness, his heart felt full. Newt was alive. 

Alex wrapped her arms around Thomas, looking like she was about to fall asleep. Thomas spared glances around; doors ripped off or kicked in, corpses littered all over the place, blood scattered all over as well. If nothing else, most of the corpses were Darius' men. Thomas didn't have the strength to think about it. There was also still a corpse by his doorway, so he decided he probably shouldn't go there. 

And Victoria's place... 

Not sure where to go, Thomas wandered by Jade's place. She was inside with Gally, both of them sitting in solemn silence. When she noticed him, she didn't smile or run to him, she braced herself. 

Thomas shook his head, offering a little smile. "No, it's okay, he's alive." 

Gally and Jade let out a sigh of relief, hugging each other. Jade pulled away, motioning for Thomas to come inside, which he did gladly. Jade took one look at Alex and her eyes filled with tears. "I went by Victoria's place..." 

"I know," Thomas muttered, sitting on the bed beside them. He set Alex down on the pillows; judging by how many there were, it seemed Gally had been spending nights here. It was a nice thing to notice, despite everything else that happened. 

Alex was already asleep, and didn't wake when she was set down. Thomas just sighed and rubbed his eyes; he was exhausted. Jade leaned against Gally, who then just let himself lay back on the bed beside Thomas. Thomas decided trying to fight it was pointless. He laid down beside them, Alex between he and Gally's heads. No one said anything, just fell asleep. 

 

"Thomas, wake up." 

Thomas' eyes flashed open and he glanced at Minho. "What's wrong? Is he okay?" 

"Shh!" Minho hissed, pointing at Gally, Jade, and Alex who were still asleep. "Come on." 

Thomas got to his feet eagerly, following Minho. "Is he awake?" he asked once they made it outside. 

"Not yet, but his sleep is getting lighter." Minho muttered; Thomas had never seen him look so tired. People were out and about, dragging off bodies. Some Builders were even beginning to to repair houses. "I got the clean up started," Minho continued, shaking his head. "But I-" 

"It's fine, go to bed." Thomas said, patting his back. He glanced at the gash on Minho's head, which was now bandaged. Thomas' heart twisted and he put his arm around Minho, pulling him in against him. "I'm really grateful you're okay." 

Minho laughed a little, but he didn't shrug him off. "You're so sappy." he paused, then quietly added. "When I saw you carrying him back, I was sure I had lost both of you." 

Thomas frowned. He wanted to tell Minho he would've been fine if Newt had died, but he didn't believe it. Not for a second. If Newt hadn't made it, Thomas doubted he would've been able to carry on anymore, much less be his old self. So instead he just squeezed Minho. "We're fine." 

Minho just nodded. 

Once they reached the Med-House, Minho pulled away. "I'm going to check in on everyone, make sure they know their jobs, then I'm going to get some shuck sleep. My head hurts and I can barely walk." 

Thomas nodded, but before he could speak, Yvonne came crashing into Minho from seemingly nowhere. 

They both hit the ground rather hard, Yvonne on Minho, smiling so big and practically laughing with relief. "I was sure someone had killed you!" she cried out, tears stinging her eyes as she hugged him. 

Minho laid there, groaning, rubbing his head, but he looked happy to see her, too. "I'm fine," he said, a smile on his face. "Jeez, if you're in love with me, you might as well say so." 

Yvonne looked over his face. "Okay." she said simply, a smile on her face. "I am." And with that, she kissed him deeply. 

Thomas stood there, dumbfounded. He grew increasingly awkward as a kiss turned into making out. He cleared his throat. If they noticed him, they ignored him. "Okay, I'm going to go now." he said, turning on his heels and walking into the Med-House. 

Oddly enough, that made him feel a great deal better. 

When he walked inside, Dr. Smith patted the bed next to Newt's. "Let's get your wounds checked out." 

Thomas glanced at Newt longingly, he was still out cold. But his face was clean, and his eye was wrapped. Some color had returned to his face, and Thomas could see his chest rising and falling softly now. Thomas nodded, sitting back. He rolled up his pant leg, expecting his wound closer now. Dr. Smith cleaned in and pressed a bandage to it. It wasn't deep. The wound he got across the temple of his head was much deeper, but Thomas had managed to forget about it until Dr. Smith began cleaning it and pressing a bandage to it. 

"Good as new," Dr. Smith said with a nod. Thomas thought that Minho looked exhausted; Dr. Smith looked like he was about to collapse. 

"Have you tended to your own wounds yet?" Thomas asked worriedly. 

"I cleaned them," Dr. Smith said with a nod. "I'll wrap them when everyone else is alright."

Thomas peered around; there were lots of people. It seemed Newt's wound was the most vicious, despite some poor Hunter who had two of his fingers cut off and his nose broken all to Hell. 

Newt moaned, and Thomas was on his knees at Newt's side in seconds. He took Newt's hand in his, looking over his face eagerly. It seemed like a life time had passed, but finally, Newt's eye opened. 

Thomas let out a relieved laugh, hanging his head. He pressed Newt's hand to his lips, and then just began sobbing. Quite pathetically, actually. Newt moved his hand into Thomas' hair. "Tommy," he said sadly, his voice was dead, and Thomas could imagine he lost it screaming, which made Thomas sick to think about. 

He looked up at Newt and smiled, wiping his eyes. "I'm so glad you're alive," he wept weakly, "I'm so glad." 

Newt offered a little smile, but it faded fast. He frowned, placing a hand against the bandage. "My bloody eye is gone." 

Thomas frowned deeply, nodding slightly. "Yeah, it is." he smiled. "But you're alive." 

Newt turned to him, placing a hand on Thomas' face, suddenly looking panicked. "You're okay?" he asked. "What about Alex? What happened to Darius? How did you find me? Everyone else?" 

"Jacob told me which way you went, and then I found your knife. I took care of Darius. Alex is with Gally and Jade." he smiled, kissing his cheek. "Everything's under control now. It's okay." 

"Minho?" Newt asked worriedly. 

"Making out with his girlfriend outside." Thomas said with a grin. 

Newt obviously had no idea what he was talking about, but he just laughed a little. "We should go home." 

Thomas nodded. "Agreed." 

Thomas helped him stand even though Newt assured him he didn't need any help. Thomas held his hand tightly in his own, as if he'd just disappear if he didn't hold on tight. Thomas glanced at him and frowned; Newt stared at his feet as he walked, as if he was having troubles getting oriented now that his field of vision had quite literally been cut in half. 

When they walked outside, Minho and Yvonne were gone already. 

When they made it home, someone had already gotten the corpse away from their house, which Thomas was glad for. That was the last thing he wanted to deal with. As they sat down, Thomas frowned. "Hey." he said, putting his hand on Newt's. "Are you okay?" 

"Yeah, I suppose so." Newt said. His voice broke, and Thomas' heart skipped a beat. He was going to cry. 

"What?!" Thomas asked worriedly, taking his hands in his. "What's wrong?!" 

Newt sniffled, wiping at his eye, simply shaking his head. Thomas sighed. "I'm not going to believe that nothing's wrong if you're crying." 

Newt just leaned against Thomas, who just hugged him tightly. "Newt, talk to me." 

Newt clung to him and sobbed. "I was so scared," he cried. It hurt Thomas so deeply he winced. 

Thomas held him tighter, closer. "It's okay now." he assured. "Darius is gone. Alex and I are fine, you're fine."

Newt didn't look any better, but he urged Thomas to lay down with him. They laid facing each other, Newt quietly sniffling. Thomas ran his thumb over his tears, wiping them away. He looked all over Newt's face; he hated to see him this way, but he was somehow still just as beautiful. "I thought you were dead." Thomas said after a moment. "I was sure of it, actually." 

Newt looked at him sadly. "Tommy..." 

"I felt myself dying," he whispered, shaking his head. "I was so numb. I didn't care about anybody; I left Minho and Alex in the middle of the woods, I didn't say a thing when Gally and Jade started crying. And when Dr. Smith started feeling for your pulse, it all came back, and it hurt so bad. I was just waiting for him to tell me that you were--" his voice caught. He shook his head. "And when he said you were alive, I... I don't know. I felt completely alive again." 

Newt pressed his forehead against Thomas'. "Oh Tommy," he muttered, placing a hand on Thomas' cheek. He kissed him deeply, and Thomas gratefully kissed him back. 

 

It became apparent to Thomas very quickly that Newt was depressed. 

It had only been two days since that day, but Thomas was sure of it. If Thomas looked at him for more than a moment or two, Newt turned away, looking upset and embarrassed. Newt refused to let Thomas come with him when he went to get his bandage changed. And heaven forbid Thomas try to touch his face or eye, Newt was practically smacking his hands away. 

Thomas just stood there, leaned against the wall of Minho's house. "He's really depressed. I think he's self-conscious." 

Minho was still pulling on his boots. "Well, talk to him about it." 

Thomas frowned. "He won't even let me look at him." 

Minho stood, stretching, his back popping as he did so. "Well. Have you guys. Ya know.  _Done it_ in the past couple days?" 

Thomas blushed slightly. "He lost his eye two days ago, Minho, of course not!" 

"I'm just saying," Minho said with an exaggerated shrug. "You guys are like a couple of rabbits. If he's not wanting to have sex maybe he  _is_ self-conscious. Though, it's all just a guess, until you man up and _talk to him._ " 

Thomas frowned; he had a point. "I guess I should talk to him. But I don't think he'll listen to me." 

"That's never stopped you before," Minho said simply, walking past him out the door. 

Thomas followed. He looked around, and if he hadn't been there, he wouldn't have believed anything had happened just a few days ago. All corpses were gone, and they had a burial for the four people they lost. They buried Darius' men deeper into the woods, separate from their own. The homes that had been broken in anyway had been repaired. The injured had clean, dressed wounds, and everyone was back to normal. 

"Is he still at home?" Minho asked with a yawn. 

"Yeah, he hasn't been getting up in the mornings," Thomas said sadly. 

Minho sighed, putting his hands on hips. "Go talk to him. There's nothing going on around here, I have everything under control." 

Thomas nodded. Minho stopped him. "And fix him. I'm tired of runnin' this place by myself." 

Thomas smirked. "What about me?" 

"Yeah, you're a dufus, you're not helpful." Minho said simply.

Thomas rolled his eyes and started back to their house. Jade waved; her and Alex were just sitting outside, playing with rocks and such. Alex was a big fan of dirt. Thomas and Newt had taken her back, of course, but Thomas had Jade babysit the past couple days. Newt definitely wasn't seeming up to it, and Thomas and Minho had been pretty busy. 

Thomas walked in, and not surprisingly, Newt was just laying there, staring off. 

Thomas frowned and sat on the edge of the bed beside him. He ran a hand through Newt's hair lovingly. "Can we talk?" 

"About what?" Newt asked, glancing over at him. 

"Are you..." Thomas thought for a moment, not sure how to put this. "Are you uncomfortable around me?" 

Newt sat up, looking confused. "When have I ever been uncomfortable around you?" 

"Since you lost your eye," Thomas said sadly. 

Newt looked at him for a moment, then sighed. "I'm not uncomfortable around you. I'm just  _uncomfortable._ " 

Thomas scooted closer. "Why?" 

Newt pulled his knees to his chest and shrugged. "I dunno. I'm... Ya know, I'm broken. I have this limp and a bunch of scars, and now this." he shook his head, glancing off, that same upset and embarrassed look he had a lot lately on his face. "I don't know how you can even look at me." 

Thomas' practically flinched. " _What?_ _"_

Newt didn't look at him still. Thomas shook his head. "You're absolutely insane, ya know that?" he grabbed Newt's hand. "Look at me." 

Newt clearly didn't want to, but he dragged his eye over to him. Thomas softened. "Newt, come on. You know I'm hopelessly in love with you." 

"That has nothing to do with you bein' attracted to me," he muttered. 

"This is the most insane conversation I've ever had and I've talked to Cranks," Thomas said with a huff. He grabbed Newt's face. "I think you're  _gorgeous._ I have always thought your limp was cute, from day one. Your scars are just as beautiful to me as the rest of you, because they are part of you." he smiled, running his thumb over Newt's cheek, nudging the bandage, which clearly made Newt uncomfortable. "And this changes nothing, either. I'm not turned off by you or something. I am a little sad you lost your eye, because your eyes are gorgeous. But I still have one," Thomas said, offering a smile. 

Newt just blushed and glanced aside. "You haven't even seen it." 

"That's because you won't let me," Thomas pressed. "Let me."

Newt still didn't look at him. "I don't know, Tommy. It's awful." 

Thomas just shook his head. He began removing the bandage, and Newt didn't stop him, so he continued. 

Newt had definitely made it sound worse than it was, but it was still bad. There was a jagged scar beginning to form from just below the top of his socket, all the way down to the bottom of his socket. His damaged lids were mostly closed, but it was open just enough for Thomas to see the empty socket behind. It was a bit jarring to look at it, but it wasn't haunting or anything, and definitely not  _awful._

Thomas grinned. "You're such a drama queen," he muttered, kissing it. 

Newt recoiled, covering it with his hand. "Don't bloody do that!" he said, looking flustered. 

Thomas pushed Newt's hand away. "I still think you're just as beautiful," Thomas said, kissing him deeply. 

Newt hesitated at first, but then threw his arms around Thomas, pulling him in closely. When they pulled away, Newt just smiled, fighting tears. "I love you, Tommy." 

Thomas smiled, hugging him closely. "I love you too, Newt." he squeezed him. "So much." 

They just sat there for a moment, holding each other when Thomas pulled away, kissing his forehead. "Let's go see Alex."

Newt nodded. "Can I have the bandage back now?" 

Thomas stood, mocking thoughtfulness. "I don't know..." he said, holding it over his head. "Can you get it?" 

Newt just pinched his stomach, making Thomas crumple. Newt snatched it from him, putting it back on. "Like that?" 

Thomas pouted, then smirked, grabbing him and throwing him on the bed. "On second thought," he said, pinning him down. "Let's go see Alex later." 

Newt giggled. "Deal." 


	77. Alex and Joey

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello lovelies!
> 
> Very last minute, one of my friends has to rush out of state to see a family member that is (so sadly) passing on, so I am last minute house-sitting. But she doesn't have internet... So I will be gone tomorrow, and gone until late on Saturday or early Sunday! Ah!! So sorry, I will try to update tomorrow before I leave, but I don't know for sure!!
> 
> But for now, here's just a short little chapter about protective dad, Thomas. 
> 
> ***I do NOT own The Maze Runner series or any of the characters!***

Joey walked over, punching Thomas in the leg and sticking his tongue out. 

"He really likes me, I can tell." Thomas said sarcastically. 

Jorge laughed. "Yeah, he really does." 

Alex walked up, hands on her little hips--something she either learned from Minho or Newt, it was hard to tell. "That's not nice!"

Joey glanced over at Thomas, pouting. "Sorry." 

Thomas just nodded. 

"So she's good at talking," Jorge said, sitting on the bed beside Thomas.

Since Alex turned four recently, Thomas and Newt decided she should probably start hanging out with the only other child somewhat close to her age. Alex liked Joey okay, but she also hated him. Every time Thomas asked why, she would just look Thomas directly in the eyes and tell him that Joey was gross. 

"She says Joey is gross all the time," Thomas said, smirking, glancing at Jorge. "Yet she stills asks when you two are coming over next." 

Jorge smirked. "Joey says he hates girls, but he is always excited when we come to see her."

"They're going to be best friends," Thomas said matter-of-factly. 

"Best friends?" Jorge scoffed. "They're going to get married." 

Thomas was a bit startled to hear that. He thought about that for a moment, and decided he didn't like that. "Oh no," Thomas said with a shake of his head. "Alex is not going to marry or date anybody. Nuh-uh." 

Jorge just smirked. "Oh, I'm sure she won't," he said sarcastically. 

_What's that supposed to mean?_

 

A couple hours after Jorge had left, Newt came home. 

Thomas was still one of the leaders, but he took days off here and there with Alex. Sometimes, he even talked Newt into taking a day off here and there as well. 

Alex squealed and ran to him, laughing as he picked her up. She hugged him. "I missed you! Joey came over today," she said with obvious disgust. 

Newt made a face. "Oh gosh, not gross Joey." 

Thomas smirked. "I don't understand, why is Joey so gross?" 

"He's just gross," Alex said. 

Newt smirked. "You heard her." 

Thomas shrugged. "Fair enough. But I think it's someone's bedtime." 

"You're right," Newt said, placing her down. "Mine," he said, plopping on the bed. 

Alex giggled excitedly. "No!" she laughed. "It's mine!" 

Thomas smirked. "It is yours. Now go to bed." he said, kneeling down and giving her a kiss on the cheek. 

She smiled, then ran over and gave Newt a kiss on the cheek before running off. Thomas waited a couple minutes before turning and sitting next to Newt. "I have a serious problem." 

Newt sat up curiously. "Oh yeah? What's that?" 

Thomas grabbed Newt's shoulders. "Alex can never date anybody." 

Newt looked surprised, then just laughed. He shrugged Thomas off, rolling his eye. "She's four, Tommy. Don't ya think you're getting ahead of yourself?"

Thomas thought about it for a moment, then shook his head. "Nope, I think now is the right time." 

Newt sighed heavily, laying back on the bed. "You're nuts." 

Thomas laid back, perpendicular to Newt, resting the back of his head on Newt's stomach. "You're telling me you're not worried about this?" 

Newt dropped his hand into Thomas' hair, petting him as he spoke. "No, I'm not." 

Thomas pouted. "How can you not be?" 

"Well, one, because she's four." Newt said, grinning. "And two, because she most likely  _is_ going to date." 

Thomas sat up with a gasp. "How can you say that?" 

"Because she's a  _person._ That's what people do. Look at us, if we didn't date, we wouldn't be married with a child. Happily." 

Thomas simply shook his head. "No, that's different." 

Newt just sighed into his hands. "How is that different?" 

"Because, no one's good enough for her, and they are all gonna be creepy, gross boys." Thomas said with a nod. 

Newt folded his arms behind his head. "And what if it's someone like you?" 

Thomas sighed heavily. "Newt,  _I_ am a gross, creepy boy. If anyone ever does half the things to her that I've done to you, I'll kill them." 

Newt just scoffed. "Oh Tommy... You make me tired." 

Thomas laid beside him, wrapping his arms around him and pulling him in close. "I know. Being a parent makes me tired." 

Newt giggled and turned to face him. "Where'd all this come from anyway?" 

"Jorge said Joey and Alex were gonna get married," he said, pouting. 

"Ya never know," Newt said. He grinned. "But maybe she'll think he's gross for the rest of her life. Problem solved." 

"Problem solved," Thomas agreed with a grin, kissing Newt deeply. 

When they pulled away, Thomas just huffed. "Seriously, I'm going to kill anyone she has any interest in." 

Newt just rolled his eye, smirking. 

"I don't doubt it." 


	78. We're Fine

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello lovelies! 
> 
> Sorry for no update yesterday! I didn't get to finish updating before the wind storms made my internet completely uncooperative... But I am back! 
> 
> This one takes place like a month or so after Darius' death! I was going to add this one in sooner, but I skipped right over it on my list of chapters to do!! It's just a real quick one, I hope you enjoy anyway :)
> 
> ***I do NOT own The Maze Runner series or any of the characters!***

"I should go." 

Thomas grunted in disapproval, pulling Newt closer against him. Newt giggled, his heart skipping a beat every time Thomas did that. He put his hand on Thomas' face so he couldn't continue to kiss him. "I should really go. Minho's gonna complain." 

Thomas pouted through Newt's fingers. "Fine," he said, releasing him. "I'm gonna get Alex ready and stop by Jade and Gally's, then I'll catch up with you guys." 

Newt nodded, moving his hand to kiss Thomas' cheek. "I'll see you then," he said, standing and stretching before walking out. 

Newt smiled stupidly to himself as he walked about, keeping a slight bounce in his step. There was something about spending most of the morning kissing Thomas that made him downright bubbly. 

"Hey Newt." 

Newt's good mood immediately dulled as he scowled. He threw a rather unhappy glance over his shoulder where Brenda stood. 

She noticed it, of course. Awkwardly, Brenda cleared her throat and rubbed her arm. "So. How's your eye?" 

"Gone," Newt replied harshly, turning towards her. 

Brenda nodded. "Yeah, I guess it is," she muttered, looking anywhere but at Newt. "I figured I should come talk to you." 

Newt crossed his arms, waiting. 

Brenda ran a hand through her hair as she looked up at Newt. "I know you're pretty pissed at me and all, but could you stop looking at me like you're going to kill me?" 

Newt made no efforts. "We'll see. Is that all you wanted to say?" 

"No!" Brenda said frantically. "Don't go, that wasn't it." 

Again, Newt just waited, glaring her down. 

For the past month or so, Newt did not try to hide his anger towards her. When they crossed paths, he made sure she caught his dirty looks. Any time she came near their group, Newt made a point to walk away. Every time he did storm off, Thomas followed, giving Newt quite the feeling of smug satisfaction. 

_So maybe I'm a little petty._

Brenda took a deep breath, sinking her hands in her pockets. "I'm really sorry." 

"For kissing my husband on my wedding day?" Newt snapped, shrugging. "I completely forgot about it," he added sarcastically. 

Brenda sighed a bit. "I know it was wrong, and a really shitty thing for me to do. And I really am sorry. I thought... I don't know what I thought. But I can honestly tell you this; if I could take it back, I would." 

Newt softened slightly. "I guess that helps." 

"And the fight you guys had was all my fault. And I didn't even say a thing to you. I should've." she muttered. 

"It's probably for the best you didn't." Newt said with a nod. "I smacked Thomas across the face. I would've bloody killed you." he offered a little smile. 

Brenda laughed with just an edge of nervousness. "Have I ever told you I'm terrified of you?" 

"No," Newt grinned. "But I could always tell." 

"The whole one-eye thing doesn't help," she said with a laugh. "Makes you look tougher." 

Newt laughed as well. "Thomas thinks it's cute now." 

Brenda shook her head. "He's the only one who's not terrified of you, that's why." 

"No way, I'm the most terrified of him," Thomas said suddenly, making Newt jump. 

Thomas stood there, holding Alex. He had an unsure smile on his face, glancing between Brenda and Newt, like he was trying to figure out if he should be smiling or getting ready to break up a fight. Newt hadn't even heard him walk up. 

Newt smirked. "I thought you were takin' that one to Jade?" he said, poking Alex's tummy and making her giggle.

Thomas laughed cautiously. "I was, but then I saw you two and..." 

"And thought we were about to kill each other," Brenda finished, amused. "Yeah, good call."  

Newt just shook his head. "We're fine, you can go." 

Thomas nodded, glancing between them for a moment before walking off slowly. Brenda looked at Newt, a spark of hope in her eyes. "So... We're fine?" 

Newt just nodded. "We're fine." 

Brenda smiled and threw her arms around him. Newt just hugged her back, letting out a little sigh. It was almost relieving to have this over with; resenting her for all that time was a bit exhausting. 

She rushed off right as Minho approached him. "So you guys are good now?" 

"Yeah, we're good." 

"Good," Minho said with a nod. They started walking, and Minho grinned. "So what're you gonna do if she tries to kiss Thomas again?" 

"I'll kill her," Newt said with a shake of his head. "I'll just lose it." 

Minho just laughed, making Newt do the same. 


	79. A Good Sign

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So sorry for the absence!! 
> 
> The last couple days were just really tight, so I just passed out right when I got home... But I am back!   
> And also, I realized that I don't really have any other chapters planned except this one? This was my last one, oops. Some get taken out because I merged them into others, so now I'm just left with this one. I won't mark this story as completed for about a week or so just in case anyone has any requests for bonus chapters they'd like to see??? If not, I will mark this story done and we'll be COMPLETELY DONE. CRAZY!!! 
> 
> ***I do NOT own The Maze Runner series or any of the characters!***

Alex held out a rock. "This one, too." 

"Okay," Thomas said, adding it to his pocket full of rocks. Alex crawled around on the ground, searching intently for rocks she wanted to keep. Thomas just trailed behind her, ready to store them in his pocket. 

"Do you think daddy will like them?" she asked, picking up a rock, inspecting it, then tossing it aside disapprovingly. 

"Oh, he'll love them," Thomas said with a nod. "He's going to be thrilled by all the rocks in the house, I just know it." 

Alex giggled. 

Thomas shivered, looking around. It was only a little past midday and it was pretty cold. It was a bit unusual; things were usually quite warm if not outright hot. Thomas had noticed it before here and there--it seemed the weather was returning to what it used to be before the Sun Flares. But now it was much more noticeable, almost everyone had something to say about it.   

Once Alex had found a sufficient amount of rocks she deemed worthy, they headed home. 

Thomas and Alex walked hand-in-hand. She wasn't even five yet, so Thomas had to awkwardly bend to the side just a bit to hold her hand, but he didn't mind. 

"Daddy should be home soon," Thomas said, smiling at Alex. 

Alex smiled back excitedly. "He should take more days off." 

"He should," Thomas agreed. 

When they were almost to their house, they ran into Jade. She rubbed her arms. "Brr," she muttered. "I think this is the coldest day we've had." 

Alex clung to her leg. "Do you wanna see my rocks?" 

Jade glanced at Thomas questioningly, smiling nonetheless. "Um. Sure?" 

Thomas produced the handful of rocks from his pocket. "She decided she wanted a rock collection this morning," Thomas explained with a laugh. 

"I used to collect snow globes," Jade said, taking a rock and examining it. 

"Snow globes?" Alex asked. 

"Um, yeah. They were these glass balls filled with, uh, water, and stuff that looked like snow. And if you shook 'em, it looked like they were snowing inside," she explained. "They were pretty." 

"Snow..." Alex remarked thoughtfully. She didn't really know anything about it at all. 

Thomas frowned slightly. He tried to avoid talking about snow too much; he had a feeling Alex would love to see it, but sadly, it didn't seem like it was going to be falling where they lived for a long time. If at all. 

Thomas took Alex's hand. "Well come on princess, let's get you inside, it's getting cold." 

Jade gave her a kiss on the head, and they were off again. 

They successfully made it home without running into anyone else. 

Alex took Thomas' hand and pulled him to the table, pointing. "Put my rocks there for daddy to see!" she paused. "Please," she added. She was still learning to use her magic words. 

Thomas just laughed, doing so as she disappeared into her room. As he was setting out the last rock, the door opened. 

"Oh gosh," Newt muttered, walking over and looking over the table. "What's happenin' here?" 

"Rocks," Thomas explained with a grin, turning towards him. "Our daughter now collects rocks." 

Newt laughed. "Well... That's great." he glanced up at Thomas, taking a step closer that made Thomas' heart flutter. 

Thomas chuckled, running his hand through Newt's hair. "It is," he muttered, leaning in and kissing him. 

The sound of Alex's door opening pulled them away from each other. Alex squealed and ran over, throwing her arms around Newt. "Daddy!" she cried, then turned and pointed at the table. "Look at my rocks!" 

Newt laughed and bent over, putting his hands on his knees as he examined every rock that she showed him. "Woah, these are really cool! Did you find these all by yourself?" 

"Yes! But dada carried them for me." she said, giving a Thomas a thumbs-up. 

Newt laughed, glancing over at Thomas. "How nice of him," he smirked, then turned back to her. "Where are we gonna put these?" 

"I want them in my room!" she giggled. "Please." 

"Okay," Newt said, standing. "Let's move these, then." 

"No!" Alex cried, pushing Newt away gently. "They're too heavy, let dada get them." 

Thomas smirked and kissed Newt's cheek as he began collecting the little rocks. "Yeah, they're way too heavy for you guys." 

"Of course," Newt giggled. 

Thomas transferred the rocks to Alex's room, considering sneaking out once she falls asleep so he and Newt could spend some time together, when their door slammed open. By pure instinct, Thomas sprinted back into the room, expecting something to be there. 

It was just Minho, looking winded. 

"You could knock," Thomas grumbled. 

"I could," Minho said, catching his breath. "But I won't. Now come here, you guys are probably gonna wanna see this..." 

Thomas and Newt exchanged glances, following them out. Alex was holding onto the back of Thomas' shirt as she followed them. 

When Thomas peered outside, he gasped. Newt stood there, dumbfounded. "No way..." 

Alex narrowed her eyes. "What's that?" 

"That's snow." Thomas muttered after a minute. 

It wasn't much, and it melted away the moment it touched the ground. But it was real snow; falling in big, fat, slow flakes. Alex took an unsure step forward. "Can I touch it?" 

"You can," Thomas said, ushering her outside. Thomas kept his eyes on her as he lowered his voice. "Can you believe that?" 

"No," Newt whispered back. "Do you think it'll ever stick?" 

"I dunno," Thomas said, putting his arm around him. "But this in itself is a good sign..." 

Newt rested his head on Thomas' shoulder, the both of them watching Alex jump around, laughing, as she caught flakes. They melted the instant they touched her skin, but that just excited her even more. 

A breath of relief left Thomas. 

Everything was going to be just fine. 


End file.
